Hyperaemia and swelling of a limb upon release of a tourniquet

Using monkeys, a quantitative study was carried out to measure the effect of a tourniquet on the lower limb on peak flow, the amount of acute swelling and the time for it to recover. The disappearance of acute swelling is related to the duration of the period of ischaemia. No significant change in peak flow was demonstrated as the duration of the tourniquet was increased.