Chronic limb-threatening ischemia of the upper extremity, resulting from pathologies like vasospasm, occlusion, trauma, or end-stage renal disease, is challenging to manage because of severe pain and morbidity. This review seeks to summarize the vascular anatomy of the upper extremity at risk for chronic limb-threatening ischemia, explain the pathophysiology of ischemic pain signaling, review diagnostic testing, and explore medical and surgical pain management options, as well as introduce avenues for future research.
Berns et al. (2026) studied this question.