Role of Fascia in Maintenance of Muscle Tension and Pressure

The effect of fasciotomy on muscle tension (measured by a force transducer attached to the tendon) and interstitial fluid pressure (measured by Wick catheters in the muscle belly) was studied in the anterolateral compartments of 13 dog hindlimbs. Muscle tension and pressure were monitored in the tibialis cranialis muscle after low- and high-frequency stimulation of the peroneal nerve to produce twitch- and tetanic-type contractions. Fasciotomy decreased muscle force during the low-frequency stimulation by 16% (35.3 +/- 4.9 to 28.4 +/- 3.9 N) and during the high-frequency stimulation by 10% (60.8 %/- 4.9 to 54.8 +/- 3.9 N). Muscle pressure decreased 50% after fasciotomy under both conditions, 15 +/- 2 to 6 +/- 1 mmHg and 84 +/- 17 to 41 +/- 8 mmHg), respectively. Repeated functional evaluations during the testing procedure indicated that muscle fatigue was not a major factor in these results. It was concluded that fascia is important in the development of muscle tension and changes in interstitial pressure. Furthermore, the results raised questions concerning the merits of performing a fasciotomy for athletes with a compartment syndrome.