Tourniquet Exposure and Risk of Chronic Pain After Severe Limb Trauma: A Prospective Cohort Study

Severe extremity trauma is frequently associated with life-threatening hemorrhage. Tourniquet application has become a critical intervention in both military and civilian trauma systems to rapidly control bleeding and prevent exsanguination. The widespread adoption of prehospital tourniquet use has significantly improved survival in patients with major limb injuries. However, prolonged interruption of blood flow may lead to ischemia-reperfusion injury, which can affect muscles, nerves, and microvascular structures.

Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that prolonged ischemia can trigger inflammatory cascades, oxidative stress, and neural sensitization pathways that may contribute to persistent pain after trauma. Potential mechanisms include peripheral nerve ischemia, muscle necrosis, microvascular dysfunction, compartment syndrome, and systemic inflammatory activation. These processes may increase the risk of chronic pain syndromes, including neuropathic pain and, in amputees, phantom limb pain.

Despite the widespread use of tourniquets, the relationship between tourniquet duration and long-term pain outcomes after severe limb trauma has not been prospectively evaluated in large clinical cohorts. Understanding this association is important for optimizing trauma care strategies that balance the life-saving benefits of hemorrhage control with potential long-term functional and pain-related consequences.

The TOURNI-PAIN Study is a prospective observational cohort study designed to evaluate whether cumulative tourniquet exposure is associated with the development of persistent clinically significant pain after severe limb trauma. Adult patients with major upper or lower extremity injuries who required tourniquet application in the prehospital or hospital setting will be enrolled. Clinical data will be collected from medical records and structured patient assessments.

Key exposure variables will include cumulative tourniquet duration, location of application (prehospital vs. hospital), repeated applications, and total ischemia time. Additional injury-related and clinical variables such as injury severity, mechanism of injury, nerve injury, compartment syndrome, surgical procedures, transfusion requirements, and critical care parameters will also be recorded.