Use of Oxygen Tissue Monitoring in Patients With Compartment Syndrome: Two Clinical Cases and Literature Review

Abstract

Compartment syndrome is defined as the pathology caused by the increase of pressure within a muscular compartment to the point where the vascular perfusion necessary for the viability of the tissues included therein is reduced. The diagnosis is established by clinical exam and pressure measurement. Measurement of intracompartmental pressure is an invasive method with no option of easy continuous monitoring. Continuous tissue oximetry, using near-infrared light spectroscopy, can estimate soft-tissue oxygenation several centimeters below the sensor placement. This method of monitoring has been used successfully in the diagnosis of compartment syndrome, presenting itself as a non-invasive method of continuous measurement that can be a very useful alternative in complex situations or doubtful cases. We present two clinical cases of patients with acute compartment syndrome, in which the use of near-infrared light spectroscopy was determinant, both for the diagnosis and to verify the surgical treatment performed.

Keywords: Compartment Syndrome; Fasciotomy; NIRS; Near-infrared Light Spectroscopy; Spanish Medical Corps.