Mobility in Patients with Venous Leg Ulceration

ObjectivesTo compare mobility in patients with venous leg ulcers to matched controls and determine the influence of mobility, age and ulcer size on ulcer healing.Methods25 leg ulcer patients, and 25 matched controls wore a mobility monitor (ActivPAL™, PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland)) which recorded the number of steps and amount of time spent walking, standing, sitting or lying for a one-week period. A walking index was calculated. The ulcer group were treated with compression bandaging and ulcer healing recorded over 12 weeks.ResultsThere were 13 female subjects in each group. The median age was 70.5 (range 30–89) years. There was no difference in the amount of time either group spent standing, walking and resting. There was a significant reduction in the number of steps taken and in the walking index in the ulcer group compared to controls (ulcer group, median 6,685 steps/day, range 2074–17,999; control group median 8750, range 4917–16,043, p