PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - P. M. Walker AU - W. R. Tanner AU - K. W. Johnston TI - Conservative management of acute thrombosis in the superficial femoral artery DP - 1983 Aug 15 TA - Canadian Medical Association Journal PG - 345--347 VI - 129 IP - 4 4099 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/129/4/345.short 4100 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/129/4/345.full SO - CMAJ1983 Aug 15; 129 AB - The management of acute occlusion of the superficial femoral artery due to thrombosis is controversial. Each of nine patients with this condition whom we treated conservatively improved clinically, apparently without any change in the perfusion of the limb. We feel the results are not primarily due to a hemodynamic improvement by means of increased formation of collateral vessels but are due to the fact that physical training and ischemia enable skeletal muscle to adapt to hypoxia by increasing its oxidative capacity and altering its substrate preference. Therefore, an initially conservative approach to acute superficial femoral artery thrombosis is justified if the limb is viable.