Use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Detect Muscle Perfusion in the Lower Extremity of Uninjured Subjects

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a complication of lower leg trauma that occurs when the pressure inside the leg due to swelling exceeds the body's ability to provide blood to the muscle of the leg. This condition cuts off blood flow to the leg. Left untreated, the condition can result in devastating consequences including complete loss of function of the lower extremity or amputation. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based tissue perfusion monitors are a non-invasive means of continuously monitoring the amount of oxygen in the tissues of an injured extremity. The device utilizes harmless red light to detect the proportion of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen up to 3 cm below the skin surface. The purpose of this study will be to launch the first stages of validation of this device as a diagnostic tool for compartment syndrome, by observing this device in uninjured subjects.