ACOLS Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) Training Practice Test 2026 - Free MLD Practice Questions and Study Guide

Dynamic insufficiency occurs when the amount of lymph that needs to be drained (the lymphatic load) outpaces what the lymphatic system can transport at that moment. When the system is at its limit, the lymph time volume is maxed out, so lymph begins to accumulate in tissues, producing edema that tends to worsen with activity and ease with rest or manual drainage. This scenario captures the functional overload of a normally working system, rather than a fixed blockage or structural change.

So the best description is that the lymphatic load exceeds transport capacity and the lymph time volume is maxed out, reflecting a transient, functional overload rather than a permanent impairment.