title: Anterior compartment pressures in patients with tibial fractures.
abstract: Twenty patients with tibial fractures had measurements of tissue pressure in the anterior compartment acutely and for the first 72 hours following injury. Measurements were made using a mercury monometric indicator similar to that described by Whitesides. Patients with fractures of the proximal third of the tibia, those with displacement of the fracture fragments greater than 50%, and those whose injury was the result of high-energy trauma developed higher compartment pressures and we conclude that such patients should be observed closely for the development of a compartment syndrome. In normotensive patients in this series fasciotomy was not necessary for tissue pressures less than 50 mm Hg in the absence of any sensory or motor compromise.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000868:Anterior Compartment Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D000071938:Fasciotomy; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery