Characterization of a compartment syndrome-like injury model

Acute compartment syndrome (CS) is caused by an elevation of pressure within a muscular compartment that can be caused by numerous factors, including blunt trauma. In this study, we characterized a rodent model of CS-like injury.

Forty male athymic rats received a standardized injury of ischemia and compression to their hindlimbs, while the intracompartmental pressure (ICP) was measured using an implantable transmitter. Tetanic muscle function was evaluated, and histology was performed on the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle.

ICPs were held at 260.70 ± 2.70 mm Hg during injury. Injured muscles recovered 59% of their total function 4 weeks after injury, and histology showed high levels of edema, inflammation (CD68(+) ), angiogenesis (CD31(+) ), and fibrosis within 72 hours after injury.

We describe a novel CS-like injury model and a novel method to measure ICP, which could potentially be used to develop innovative therapies to manage CS injury in patients.