Compartment Syndrome

Compartment syndrome is a condition related to inflammation after surgery or injury that can lead to increased pressure, impaired blood flow, nerve damage and muscle death. The result is permanent disability. A variety of combat-related injures can lead to compartment syndrome, including fractures, burns, trauma, and gunshot wounds.

Once compartment syndrome is diagnosed, the only current treatment option is to surgically “open” the surrounding tissue within hours of onset, leaving an open wound that is susceptible to infection and added complications. The Wake Forest-Pittsburgh Consortium is dedicated to developing new methods to prevent, detect and treat compartment syndrome during triage of the critically wounded.

The team is addressing the issue on several fronts, from repairing atrophied muscle using stem cells to implanting natural materials that recruit healthy cells to the injury site. The goal of the work is to prevent or reverse the damage that can result from compartment syndrome – improving functionality.

The Wake Forest-Pittsburgh Consortium is exploring a range of innovative technologies to provide a functional replacement for skin, from new forms of tissue engineered skin to stem cell replacements for skin cells. These projects represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of injured armed forces personnel. Moreover, these technologies will be applicable to many other battlefield wounds that require reconstruction, such as craniofacial, limb and finger injuries, and compartment syndrome. And, because burn injuries affect war fighters and civilians almost equally, advances in care have the potential to benefit thousands of people.

Program Leader:
Kenton Gregory, M.D., Oregon Laser Institute