LATERAL TRACTION DURING SHOULDER ARTHROSCOPY - ITS EFFECT ON TISSUE PERFUSION MEASURED BY PULSE OXIMETRY

We studied the effect of three methods of shoulder traction during art hroscopy on arterial oxygen saturation measured by a pulse oximeter ap plied to the fingertip of the arm in traction. Simple longitudinal tra ction ablated the oxygen saturation in only 1 of 30 patients. Adding v ertical traction perpendicular to the arm ablated the oxygen saturatio n in 25 of 30 patients when a 2-inch wide sling was used and in 7 of 3 0 patients when a 4-inch sling was used. In this series, the pulse oxi meter did not demonstrate gradual gradations in arterial oxygen satura tion loss. Rather, the pulse oximeter provided an all-or-none warning signal for tissue hypoxia.