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Intracompartmental forearm pressure during rest and exercise.
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|May 1, 1983
Summary
Effort-related dorsal forearm pain may stem from increased intracompartmental pressure (ICP). Studies show elevated ICP in some patients, with pain relief after fasciotomy suggesting a link.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
- Pain Management
Background:
- Effort-related dorsal forearm pain is a common complaint.
- The underlying pathophysiology, particularly the role of intracompartmental pressure (ICP), remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the normal range of ICP in the dorsal forearm during rest and exercise.
- To investigate whether elevated ICP is associated with effort-related dorsal forearm pain.
Main Methods:
- Intracompartmental pressure (ICP) was measured using a wick catheter in 11 healthy volunteers at rest and during exercise.
- ICP was measured in 14 patients experiencing dorsal forearm pain during exercise.
- Fasciotomy was performed in patients with elevated ICP.
Main Results:
- Normal resting ICP was 6 mm Hg, rising approximately sixfold during exercise.
- Six of 14 patients exhibited ICP more than twice the normal range at rest and/or during exercise.
- Four of these six patients experienced pain relief within three weeks following fasciotomy.
Conclusions:
- Elevated intracompartmental pressure (ICP) in the dorsal forearm may contribute to effort-related pain.
- Fasciotomy can be an effective treatment for patients with exercise-induced dorsal forearm pain related to elevated ICP.