Compartment syndrome why

Surgery is successful for many people and might allow you to return to your sport. Your limbs have specific areas of muscle compartments.

Your lower leg, for example, has four compartments. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome often occurs in the same compartment of an affected limb on both sides of the body, usually the lower leg. Taking a complete break from exercise or performing only low-impact activity might relieve your symptoms, but relief is usually only temporary. Once you take up running again, for instance, those familiar symptoms usually come back. If you have recurring unusual pain, swelling, weakness, loss of sensation or soreness while exercising or participating in sports activities, talk to your doctor.

Sometimes chronic exertional compartment syndrome is mistaken for shin splints, a more common cause of leg pain in young people who do a lot of vigorous weight-bearing activity, such as running. If you think you have shin splints and the pain doesn't get better with self-care, talk to your doctor. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is a musculoskeletal condition brought on by exercise.

It can affect muscle compartments in any of your limbs but occurs most commonly in the lower legs. The lower leg has four compartments, and any one or all of them can be affected. The cause of chronic exertional compartment syndrome isn't completely understood. When you exercise, your muscles expand in volume. If you have chronic exertional compartment syndrome, the tissue that encases the affected muscle fascia doesn't expand with the muscle, causing pressure and pain in a compartment of the affected limb.

Some experts suggest that how you move while exercising might have a role in causing chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Other causes might include having muscles that enlarge excessively during exercise, having an especially inflexible fascia surrounding the affected muscle compartment or having high pressure within your veins.

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Causes of damage to muscle compartments. Types of compartment syndrome. Recognizing the symptoms of compartment syndrome. Long-term complications. Chronic compartment syndrome is much less serious, but it's a good idea to get your symptoms checked out and have the cause diagnosed. Chronic compartment syndrome usually occurs in young people who do regular repetitive exercise, such as running or cycling.

A leading theory is that it's caused by temporary swelling of the muscles during exercise affecting the blood supply to a whole group of muscles. Acute compartment syndrome must be treated in hospital using a surgical procedure called an emergency fasciotomy. The doctor or surgeon makes an incision to cut open your skin and fascia surrounding the muscles to immediately relieve the pressure inside the muscle compartment.

The wound will usually be closed a few days later. Occasionally, a skin graft may be required to cover the wound.