Measurement of mechanical properties of soft limb tissue as a diagnostic tool

A comparison of the mechanical properties of limb soft tissues during edema and during the internal limb pressure elevation of the compartment syndrome with measurements from subjects having healthy limbs is discussed. Measurements were taken noninvasively on the anterior surface of the lower limb over the muscle mass. Tissue displacement was recorded against indentation pressure. From the resulting curves, parameters of tissue softness and departure from linear elastic behavior were calculated. Statistically significant differences in the mechanical properties of soft limb tissue in the presence of edema and in the presence of compartment syndrome compared to normal limb tissues are observed. >