Fasciotomy, chronic venous insufficiency, and the calf muscle pump.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that fasciotomy may impair the function of the calf muscle pump, which in turn could result in the development of chronic venous insufficiency. DESIGN A cohort study of patients with a history of lower extremity fasciotomy. SETTING An urban trauma center. PATIENTS Seventeen of the 83 patients identified through trauma, vascular, and/or orthopedic registries consented to participation in this study. INTERVENTIONS Participating patients completed a study questionnaire, and then underwent a complete vascular examination, including air plethysmographic (APG) assessment. Patients with a history of venous injuries were also studied with color flow duplex venous imaging. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Function of the calf muscle pump as measured by APG, and evidence of chronic venous insufficiency as measured by APG, findings on clinical examination, and by venous ultrasonography. RESULTS Seventeen patients completed the study, including 8 with a history of vascular injuries, 6 with old fractures, and 3 who had undergone fasciotomy for soft tissue infections. The time from injury to examination ranged from 5 months to 20 years. Eight patients had signs or symptoms of venous insufficiency, the severity of which appeared to be time dependent. The APG data showed significant mean differences between fasciotomy and control extremities in ejection fraction (P<.001) and residual volume fraction (P<.001), both measures of calf muscle pump function. There were no significant changes in venous filling index, a measure of venous reflux, or in outflow fraction, which correlates with venous obstruction. There were no differences in APG variables between patients with vascular injuries vs those with orthopedic or soft tissue injuries. CONCLUSIONS Lower extremity fasciotomy impairs long-term calf muscle pump function, as measured by APG, in patients with and without vascular injuries. These patients are at risk for the long-term development of chronic venous insufficiency following lower extremity trauma.