Change of bilateral difference in radial artery pulse morphology with one-side arm movement

Previous studies have demonstrated that the compliance of peripheral artery changes with arm movement. This study aimed to quantify the bilateral difference in radial artery pulse morphology with one-side arm movement. Twenty-four healthy subjects were recruited. Radial artery pulses were synchronously recorded from both arms, with one arm (left or right) at five different positions (90°, 45°, 0°, −45° and −90°) and the other arm at horizontal level (0°) as reference. Two types of indices of arterial pulse morphology were derived from the normalized arterial pulse signals: the waveform width corresponding to the 50%, 60% and 70% pulse amplitude (W50, W60, W70) and the total area of normalized pulse waveform (Apulse). No matter whether the moving arm was left or right arm, when compared with the other side reference arm, all the waveform widths decreased with arm moving from 90°, 45°, 0°, −45°, and −90°. The bilateral difference of W50, W60 and W70 with the moving arm (either left or right) at 90°, 45° were significantly positive (both p < 0.01) and significantly negative at −90° (both p < 0.05). Meanwhile, no matter whether the moving arm is left or right, Apulse decreased with arm moving from 90°, 45°, 0°, −45°, and −90°. The bilateral difference of Apulse with the left moving arm were significantly positive at 45°, 90° (both p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the bilateral difference of Apulse from the moving right arm was significantly positive at 90° and significantly negative at −45° and −90° (all p < 0.05). In summary, this study quantified the bilateral arterial pulse morphology between arteries with different compliances induced by a simple arm positioning procedure.