Chronic leg ulcers are a major and increasing cause of pain and disability in the elderly, with 100,000-350,000 affected in the UK alone. Ulceration represents a failure in the normal mechanisms of repair of connective tissue. A common occurrence in leg ulcers is an inadequate supply of oxygenated blood (ischaemia), and this project aims to investigate the effects of ischaemia on connective tissue and wound healing in patients. The information gained from this study should aid the development of therapies to help prevent this distressing condition.