Acute Compartment Syndrome Lower Leg
Acute compartment syndrome is a condition in which there is increased pressure within a closed osteofascial compartment resulting in impaired local circulation.
Acute compartment syndrome lower leg. To date however there are few large-scale sample literatures to investigate the predictors of it. Comminuted left tibial plateau fracture Schatzker V. Failure to diagnose and treat acute compartment syndrome is one of the most common causes of successful medical liability claims.
Acute compartment syndrome is a recognised side-effect of intra osseous access. Acute compartment syndrome remains a challenging problem for orthopedic surgeons because its diagnosis is not always straightforward and it has a high risk of associated limb morbidity if left. Acute compartment syndrome ACS is a serious complication that can occur after musculoskeletal trauma during which a rise in pressure within the osteofasical compartment leads to a decreased perfusion gradient across tissue capillary beds and results in cellular anoxia muscular ischemia and dysfunction loss of limb and even death.
This type of injury is quite common in athletes and runners. Leg Compartment Syndrome is a devastating lower extremity condition where the osseofascial compartment pressure rises to a level that decreases perfusion to the leg and may lead to irreversible muscle and neurovascular damage. But it can also impact other parts of the leg as well as the feet arms hands abdomen belly and buttocks.
Compartment syndrome occurs most often in the lower leg. Predisposing factors for its manifestation within an obstetric environment are augmented labor the lithotomy position postpartum hemorrhage hypotension following epidural analgesia and the use of vasoconstrictive agents. Compartment syndrome is a painful and potentially serious condition caused by bleeding or swelling within an enclosed bundle of muscles known as a muscle compartment.
The acute compartment syndrome of the lower leg is a surgical emergency and should be dealt with immediately. Each group of muscles in the arms and legs together with nearby blood vessels and nerves is contained in a space surrounded by tissue called fascia. The anterior compartment of the lower leg contains four muscles of which the tibialis anterior is the major muscle.
This does not usually happen in chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Acute compartment syndrome occurs more commonly in one of the four smaller compartments of the lower leg. Compartment syndrome can limit the flow of blood oxygen and nutrients to muscles and nerves.
