Gluteal compartment syndrome following bone marrow biopsy: a case report

Compartment syndrome is a well described limb-threatening and potentially life-threatening condition. Compartment syndromes of the upper and lower limbs are well documented in the literature. The gluteal region, however, is often not considered as a compartment despite having three osseofascial boundaries. We report a case of gluteal compartment syndrome which resulted from a bone marrow biopsy. The patient was anticoagulated at the time. The outcome was residual right sided foot drop due to sciatic nerve palsy. This case describes an unusual presentation of a rare condition. Gluteal compartment syndrome is a potential complication of bone marrow biopsy.