Acute nerve compression during limb ischaemia--an experimental study.

In 6 baboons the deep peroneal nerve was compressed for 1 hr by a weighted cord laid over the leg just above the ankle. The procedure was carried out on both sides in a single experiment. On one side the whole leg was rendered ischaemic by a cuff round the thigh which was maintained for 3 or 4 hr before and during the period of nerve compression at the ankle. As judged by the severity of the conduction block at the ankle 24 hr later, and its subsequent recovery, the compressed nerves which were also made ischaemic fared no worse than those subjected to compression alone. Histological studies showed evidence of selective damage to large myelinated fibres during the compression; this damage was not increased on the ischaemic side. There is thus no evidence that ischaemia increased the susceptibility of nerve fibres to mechanical damage in these experiments.