The amplitude of pulse-synchronous oscillations varies with the level of intramuscular pressure in simulated compartment syndrome

摘要

BackgroundPatients with compartment syndromes have elevated intramuscular pressure (IMP) due to increased volume in the affected muscle. However, the accuracy of IMP as a parameter in diagnosing chronic compartment syndrome has been questioned. It has been observed that arterial pulsations create oscillations in the IMP in patients with abnormally elevated IMP. The amplitude of the IMP oscillations appears to be related to a pathogenic mechanism of elevated IMP. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between the amplitude of pulse-synchronous IMP oscillations and the absolute level of IMP with a high-end fiber-optic system in a human experimental model of abnormally elevated IMP (simulated compartment syndrome) of the leg. The hypothesis that the amplitude of the IMP oscillations is correlated to the absolute level of IMP was tested.