[Acute compartment syndrome of the foot]

In two patients, a girl aged 2 and a man aged 52 years, who had suffered a severe crush trauma, acute compartment syndrome of the foot was diagnosed. Decompression by means of one medial and two dorsal dermato-fasciotomy incisions was carried out and fractures of the metatarsals were repaired using K-wires. The girl recovered completely, but the man developed progressive necrosis in the flexors of the foot and on the skin on the foot sole which necessitated amputation of the foot. Acute compartment syndrome of the foot is an uncommon disease and is mainly characterised by extreme pain and often diffuse swelling of the foot. It is a serious threat to the foot which can lead to severe long-term complications including contractures, deformity and paralysis. Compartment syndrome of the foot is a primary clinical diagnosis. When in doubt, direct pressure measurement of the foot compartments should be done by means of needle catheterisation. If compartment pressure exceeds 30 mm Hg, acute dermato-fasciotomy of all nine compartments is indicated. A combined medial and dorsal approach is adopted to release the foot compartments; three incisions are usually sufficient. If fractures are present, these are repaired at the same time. Within four hours an unnoticed compartment syndrome can lead to irreversible ischaemia of the nerves and muscle tissue with long-term irreversible consequences.