Continuous compartment pressure monitoring vs. clinical monitoring in tibial diaphyseal fractures

A cohort of 109 consecutive patients with a tibial fracture who underwent continuous compartment pressure monitoring of the anterior compartment of the leg were reviewed and compared to a historical control group of the immediate previous 109 patients who were clinically monitored. Of these patients 33 underwent fasciotomies for acute compartment syndrome in association with tibial diaphyseal fractures. Seventeen patients had continuous compartment pressure monitoring and 16 clinical assessments alone. The fasciotomy rate of patients who underwent continuous compartment pressure monitoring was 15.6%. Patients who were not monitored had a fasciotomy rate of 14.7%. The mean time delay from injury to fasciotomy was 22h in the monitored group and 23h in the non-monitored group. Continuous compartment pressure monitoring did not increase the rate of unnecessary fasciotomies. We could not demonstrate a significant difference in terms of clinical outcome and time delay from injury to fasciotomy.