[Compartment syndrome of the leg (author's transl)]

The authors have observed ten compartment syndromes of the leg. Nine occurred after tibial fractures, one after a contusive trauma. Early signs those of muscular and neural ischemia, with an acute pain when the toes are passively mobilised. The cast must be promptly removed. In 6 cases the two compartments were involved. In all cases the pulses were palpable. Arteriographs could occasionaly verify the integrity of the main arterial trunks. The treatment is based on early fasciotomies. It was realised in 5 cases, with good results when the fasciotomy was realised more than twelve hours after the trauma, the muscles were more or less necrotic. In one case all the muscles of the leg had to be excised.