title: Tissue oxygen saturation changes during intramedullary nailing of lower-limb fractures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The systemic complications of acute intramedullary nailing (IMN) in trauma patients are well known. There are no reliable methods available to predict these adverse outcomes. Noninvasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allows measurement of oxygen saturation within muscle tissue (StO2) and quantification of the potential metabolic and microcirculatory effects of IMN in real time. The aim of this study was to characterize tissue oxygenation changes occurring during reamed IMN.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing reamed IMN for fixation of a tibia or femur fracture and patients having an open reduction and internal fixation of the ankle (to control for potential effects of anesthesia) had a noninvasive NIRS probe attached to the thenar eminence of the hand. Tissue oxygenation was monitored continuously throughout the operation and digitally recorded for later analysis. Vascular occlusion tests, an established technique with the NIRS device, were performed before canal opening and after nail insertion (at equivalent times in the control group), to establish the presence and nature of changes in systemic microcirculation occurring during the duration of the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tissue oxygenation data were collected on 23 patients undergoing 26 IMN. (mean [SD] age, 36 [19] years; median Injury Severity Score [ISS], 9; interquartile range, 9-12). The control group consisted of 19 patients (mean [SD] age, 41 [18] years; ISS, 4). Remote muscle tissue desaturated significantly faster after IMN compared with the control operation (mean [SD] difference in IMN desaturation rate, 1.8% per minute [2.6% per minute]; mean [SD] difference in control group desaturation rate, -0.6% per minute [1.5% per minute]; p = 0.014). Near infrared-derived muscle oxygen consumption (NIR VO(2)) was significantly increased during the course of IMN compared with the control (mean [SD] difference in IMN NIR VO(2), 19.9 [32.1]; mean [SD] difference in control NIR VO(2), -4.2 [17.9]; p = 0.041).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IMN causes significant remote microcirculatory changes. The responsiveness of the microcirculation could be a predictor of secondary organ dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidemiologic study, level III.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Division of Surgery, John Hunter Hospital, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Enninghorst
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: Krisztian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sisak
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lott
authors.forename: Zsolt J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Balogh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult