[Compartment syndrome in pathogenesis of lower limb exertional disease in servicemen]

As many as 35 servicemen presenting with a pathological reorganization and stress fractures of shin bones and foot were examined. A measurement of the subfascial pressure was done together with a study of pulse propagation along the tibial and fibial nerves and of bioelectrical activity of foot muscles innervated by the above nerves. The subfascial pressure in the anterior and posterior deep sheaths of the shin appeared to be increased in rest, especially so in the wake of physical loads on the affected extremity even if the process was localized in the foot. The velocity of the pulse propagation along the nerves was found to be decreased, the latent period increased, amplitude decreased, the duration of M-response longer in the affected extremity, with a 38 to 47% decrease in the frequency and amplitude of biological activity of maximum muscular contraction having been recordable. The latter observation has corroborated our assumption that in weight-bearing disease of the extremities there would be present a chronic compartment-syndrome which is of reccurrent character, causes disturbances in the neuromuscular apparatus of the extremity (ischemic demyelinization of the nerve fibers and dystrophic changes in the muscles innervated by the above nerve fibers), which fact may lead to recurrences of weight-bearing disease, prolonged treatment and restoration of the function.