McGeown JG, McHale NG, Thornbury KD.
Effects of varying patterns of external compression on lymph flow in the hindlimb
of the anaesthetized sheep.
J Physiol 1988 Mar;397:449-57

Department of Physiology, Queen's University of Belfast.

1. Lymphatics draining the region distal to the fetlock were cannulated in
anaesthetized sheep. A pneumatic cuff was used to intermittently compress the
drainage area. 2. Intermittent inflation of the cuff accelerated lymph flow. This
effect increased dramatically as the frequency of inflation was increased. 3.
With a constant inflation time, increasing the time between inflations increased
the additional volume of lymph expelled per external compression threefold over
the range of 0.5-8 s. Longer intervals produced little further change. 4. There
was no significant difference between the effects on lymph volume per compression
of intermittent cuff inflations lasting from 1 to 18 s with a constant time
between inflations. 5. A cuff pressure of 20 mmHg produced a significant rise in
lymph flow. Increasing the pressure applied during cuff inflation increased the
effect up to the maximum pressure used (320 mmHg). 6. These studies demonstrate
that the promotion of lymph formation by tissue compression is related to the
number of compressions applied and the period of time between them. Increasing
the pressure exaggerates the effect but increasing the length of each compression
does not. This suggests that compression empties the terminal lymphatics
centripetally. These vessels refill after compression is released and in our
preparation this is complete in about 8 s.