Intraoperative pneumatic tourniquet application reduces soft-tissue microcirculation, but without affecting wound healing in calcaneal fractures.

研究概要

Thirty-four patients (31 men, 3 women) with 37 calcaneal fractures were randomized to undergo surgery with a pneumatic tourniquet (n=22) or without (n=15). The primary outcome of interest was intraoperative microcirculation changes, including blood flow and tissue oxygen saturation at two depths (2 mm and 8 mm). Secondary outcomes included postoperative wound healing and the occurrence of prolonged wound healing issues. Outcomes were monitored intraoperatively and up to the early postoperative healing phase. Overall, the study found that while the tourniquet caused significant decreases in microcirculation at 8 mm depth, it had no measurable effect on postoperative wound healing. This suggests that short-duration tourniquet use does not adversely affect surgical outcomes in calcaneal fractures.