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Published on: May 26, 2023
[Compartment syndrome of the forearm in a child]
Wouter P Kluijfhout1, Eefje N de Vries1, Victor A de Ridder1
1UMC Utrecht, afd. Traumachirurgie, Utrecht.
Background:
Compartment syndrome is a rare but serious entity with various causes. Timely diagnosis and treatment are essential.
Case Description:
We present a case of a 14-year-old boy with a crush injury of the forearm including a fracture of the radius and ulna. In addition, a traction injury of the brachial plexus was present. Despite the absence of pain, a fasciotomy was performed because of excessive swelling of the forearm with obvious bulging of the muscles intra-operatively.
Conclusion:
Compartment syndrome can develop at several places in the body, including the forearm. Disproportional pain is the most relevant symptom which can however be absent due to concurrent neurological injury. Surgical exploration is always warranted in case of a clinical suspicion of compartment syndrome to prevent severe complications.
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