Compartment syndrome without pain!
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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

A Novel Non-invasive Method for the Detection of Elevated Intra-compartmental Pressures of the Leg
Published on: May 31, 2019
M J O'Sullivan1, J Rice, A J McGuinness
1Department of General Surgery, Cork University Hospital, Ireland.
Abstract:
We report the case of a young male patient who underwent intra-medullary nailing for a closed, displaced mid-shaft fracture of tibia and fibula. He was commenced on patient controlled analgesia post-operatively. A diagnosis of compartment syndrome in the patient's leg was delayed because he did not exhibit a pain response. This ultimately resulted in a below-knee amputation of the patient's leg. We caution against the use of patient controlled analgesia in any traumatised limb distal to the hip or the shoulder.
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