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[Acute compartment syndrome--a clinical follow-up study]
1Ortopedisk avdeling Haukeland Sykehus 5021 Bergen. leiv.hove@haukeland.no
Background:
The aim of this study has been to examine patients from 1985 to 1997 with acute compartment syndrome in the leg. We wanted to assess motor function, sensibility and aesthetic sequelae.
Material And Methods:
During this period, a total of 48 patients were treated by fasciotomy. 29 of these were examined in the follow-up study, after a mean follow-up time of 6.7 years.
Results:
One of the patients had amputated his leg, two had extirpated necrotic muscle tissue. Another 20 patients had sequelae like drop-foot, claw toes, reduced dorsal flexion of the foot, loss of ability to walk on tiptoe, and limping. 14 patients had loss of sensibility beyond the scar area, and 24 patients had moderate or serious aesthetic sequelae.
Interpretation:
The high number of patients in this study with sequelae from acute compartment syndrome may indicate an unacceptable delay in diagnosis and treatment.