Tolerance of upper extremity pneumatic tourniquets and their effect on grip strength

This study was undertaken to evaluate tourniquet tolerance in healthy people. An arm tourniquet was inflated to 100 mmHg above systolic blood pressure for 21 minutes. We measured pain and grip strength before, during and at various times after deflation. We tested 40 subjects (20 women and 20 men) with an average age of 38 (range 22-58) years. Eight individuals did not tolerate the tourniquet for this length of time and the test was stopped. Visual analogical scale had a globally linear increase during tourniquet application. We noted a sensation of well-being just after deflation, quickly replaced by pain in the tested limb due to limb reperfusion. We also noted a significant loss of strength in the tested limb, which completely recovered by 48 hours. We also observed a significant loss of strength in the contralateral hand, which also recovered by 48 hours. The possible reasons for these temporary losses of strength in both the ipsilateral and contralateral limbs are discussed.