• C Willy, J Sterk, H U Völker, C Sommer, F Weber, O Trentz, and H Gerngross.
• Departement Chirurgie, Klinik für Unfallchirurgie, Universitätsspital Zürich. christian_willy@hotmail.com
• Unfallchirurg. 2001 May 1; 104 (5): 381-91.

BackgroundAcute compartment syndrome of the leg is to be regarded as a traumatological emergency. Most specialists already agree that only a timely operative decompression of the afflicted compartment can prevent serious tissue damage. What still remains subject to discussion, however, is the precise tissue pressure above which the operation becomes imperative. Experimental human studies focusing on tissue pressure and muscle oxygenation have not yet been carried out. It was thus the aim of the present study to analyze oxygen partial pressure of the anterior tibial muscle and peroneal action potential in a model compartment syndrome in man.MethodsIn 22 healthy, normotensive volunteers, constant pressure values from 0 to 100 mmHg were induced in the anterior tibial muscle with antishock trousers. Over a period of up to 6 h measurements were made of (1) tissue pressure, (2) intramuscular oxygen partial pressure (pO2), and (3) muscle response potential (MRP) of the n. peroneus profundus by electroneurography.ResultsWe achieved a 97.7% (Q25%/Q75%: 89.2/99.8) transfer of the pneumatic pressure to the lower leg. Already at intramuscular tissue pressures of 30-40 mmHg, hypoxia and reduction of MRP appeared. A reduction of the MRP to zero and pO2 < 1 mmHg was observed from a pressure of 50 mmHg. Tissue pressure values of over 75 mmHg resulted almost without exception in anoxia of the muscle.ConclusionsEven under normal perfusion conditions, already slight increases in pressure of above 30 mmHg lead to reduced tissue oxygenation and neural function. We have to consider that with additionally traumatized muscle the ischemic tolerance is markedly reduced and due to unknown influences such as local vasoreactivity and capacity of autoregulation the nutritive perfusion cannot be determined. In the case of a severely injured muscle, to be on the safe side decompressive fasciotomy should therefore be carried out if pressure values remain above 30 mmHg.

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