ABNORMALLY INCREASED INTRAMUSCULAR PRESSURE IN HUMAN LEGS - COMPARISON OF 2 EXPERIMENTAL-MODELS

Background: Abnormally increased pressure in the anterior compartment of 20 legs in 10 subjects was induced by applying venous stasis of a c asted leg and external compression by a cylindrical air splint of the contralateral leg. The effects of increased intramuscular pressure (IM P) on blood perfusion pressure and clinical symptoms in the foot were compared during 30 minutes by the two methods. Results: Intramuscular pressure increased to 38.9 (SD = 2.9) mm Hg when venous stasis was app lied and to 39.8 (SD = 1.6) by external compression (not significant). Blood perfusion pressure in the anterior compartment decreased signif icantly to 25 mm Hg in both legs when they were elevated. Subjects exp erienced loss of sensation and muscular weakness only in the foot of t he casted obstructed leg. Conclusions: Venous stasis of a casted eleva ted leg is an alternative experimental model to induce abnormally incr eased intramuscular pressure and neuromuscular dysfunction in the huma n leg. The venous stasis model may be better than external compression in the study of pathogenesis and pathophysiology of simulated imminen t acute compartment syndrome in man.