Viscoelasticity of bulk limb tissue

A study is presented of viscoelastic changes in the limb in the presence of the compartment syndrome, which can occur when muscle tissue swells following trauma. In a series of laboratory studies with elevated compartment pressure, the measured viscoelastic properties on the surface of the limb became more purely elastic when compared with baseline. The noninvasively measured viscoelastic departure from purely elastic behavior at mid-pressure-cycle (60 mm Hg) dropped from 156 mm ³ to 32 mm³ as compartment pressure increased from 6 mm Hg to 63 mm Hg. Measurements were also taken in study of ten normal human subjects. The use of matched sites was found to provide compensation for differences in fat content and muscle tone among subjects