title: Osteofascial compartment pressure measurement in closed limb injuries - Whitesides' technique revisited.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regular monitoring of tissue compartmental pressures and hence a timely intervention in patients with impending compartment syndrome has been shown to prevent morbidity and permanent disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intra-compartmental pressure in flexor compartment of forearm and various compartments of legs following recent trauma presenting within 6 h of injury was carried out in 30 subjects using Whitesides' technique and patients were classified into 3 categories for treatment purposes i.e., Category I: pressure <30 mmHg, Category II: pressure 30-40 mmHg and Category III: pressure >40 mmHg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Category I had 17 subjects, Category II had 6 subjects whereas 7 subjects fell into Category III. 6 patients out of the 30 studied needed fasciotomy, out of which 5 had fair or good result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whitesides' technique, though not much widely favoured, is a safe, inexpensive, easily assembled and reliable method for measurement of intra-compartmental pressure as a guide for decompression.
authors.affiliation: Senior Specialist and Asst. Professor, Central Institute of Orthopaedics, Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Rajendra Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Beniwal
authors.affiliation: Senior Consultant, Max Hospital, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, UP, India.
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bansal
keywords: Closed fracture in limbs; Compartment pressure; Compartment syndrome; Fasciotomy; Whitesides’ technique