One of the previously described major limitations of femoropopliteal PTA has been the
relatively low percentage of success achieved in recanalizing and dilating chronic
occlusions. However, two very important studies of femoropopliteal recanalization and
PTA have been reported. The first was a report by Morgenstern and colleagues in 1989
that documented a 95% success at crossing femoropopliteal occlusions 1–4 cm in length
and an 86% success in occlusions 5–10 cm in length using modern imaging, catheters,
and guide wires.32 Overall technical success was 91% for occlusions in this report of 160
recanal izations. This success rate correlates well with clinical experience today.