- What causes
- Types of compartment syndrome
- 1. Acute compartment syndrome
- 2. Chronic compartment syndrome
- How the treatment is done
Compartmental Syndrome is a disease that occurs when there is a great pressure inside a compartment of a muscle, which causes them to swell so much, that the blood cannot circulate to some places and causing injuries to the muscles and nerves. When blood cannot reach some muscle sites, it can prevent oxygen from reaching the tissues, which can cause cell death.
This syndrome can occur in the lower or upper limbs and cause symptoms such as a numb, swollen, pale and cold touch and treatment depends on the severity of the injury, but in most cases, surgery is required.
What causes
Compartment syndrome can happen as a result of bleeding or swelling of a compartment, which can cause pressure that builds up inside the compartment, which can prevent the passage of blood.
Types of compartment syndrome
There are two types of compartment syndrome:
1. Acute compartment syndrome
This type of syndrome usually occurs due to an injury, such as a fracture, crushing of a limb, wearing a bandage or other tight object, drinking alcohol or taking drugs excessively.
The most common symptom in these cases is severe pain that does not improve even if you lift the injured limb or take medication and it gets worse when you stretch or use the limb. Other symptoms may include a feeling of tightness in the muscle or a tingling or burning sensation in the skin around the affected area and in more severe cases numbness or paralysis of the limb.
This syndrome requires urgent treatment, and it may be necessary to resort to amputation.
2. Chronic compartment syndrome
Although the reason is not yet known, chronic compartment syndrome can occur due to the practice of exercise with repeated movements, such as swimming, tennis or running, for example.
In these cases, you may experience severe pain during exercise, which lasts about 30 minutes after completing the exercise. Other symptoms that may occur are difficulty in moving the injured limb, numbness in the limb or a lump in the affected muscle.
How the treatment is done
In the case of acute compartment syndrome, surgery is usually necessary and the procedure involves cutting the fascia to reduce pressure in the compartment. In some cases it may be necessary to leave the region open until the swelling is reduced or even a skin graft is performed. In very severe cases or if treatment is performed too late, it may be necessary to amputate the limb.
In cases of chronic compartment syndrome, before opting for surgery, the doctor may recommend physiotherapy to stretch the muscle, anti-inflammatory remedies, changing the type of exercise or performing the exercise with less impact, applying ice on the spot after physical activity. If none of these methods work, surgery may be necessary.
