Acute Lumbar Paraspinal Compartment Syndrome After Strenuous Exercise: A Case Report

Acute lumbar paraspinal compartment syndrome (APCS) is rare. This case report describes the clinical presentation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of APCS in a young man after strenuous weight training. The patient underwent surgical decompression of the paraspinal muscles with fasciotomy 4 days after presentation and made a complete functional recovery at the 3-month follow-up postsurgery.

This case report highlights the importance of MRI in facilitating the diagnosis of APCS and demonstrates that fasciotomy, even if delayed, can result in complete functional recovery. This supports current understanding that surgical fascial decompression is the preferred treatment over conservative measures for this condition.