SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT OF EXERTIONAL COMPARTMENT SYNDROME OF THE LOWER LEG - LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

Forty-six limbs in 28 patients were surgically treated for exertional compartment syndrome. One group of 16 patients (26 limbs) underwent a fasciotomy for exertional anterior compartment syndrome (Group 1). A s econd group of 12 patients (20 limbs) underwent a fasciotomy for exert ional deep posterior compartment syndrome (Group 2). Patients in Group 2 experienced symptoms for a significantly longer time than those in Group 1: 16 versus 6.8 months (P < 0.01). All three of the pressure me asurements used in this study (resting pressure, 1 minute after exerci se, and 5 minutes after exercise) were significantly higher in both gr oups than in normal controls (P < 0.01). The 1 minute after exercise v alues were significantly higher in Group 1 (mean, 36.5) than in Group 2 (mean, 29.1) (P < 0.01). In Group 1, 25 of 26 limbs (96%) had excell ent results. In Group 2, 13 of 20 limbs (65%) had satisfactory results (5 excellent and 8 good) and 7 (35%) had unsatisfactory results (4 fa ir and 3 poor). Those patients who had an unsatisfactory outcome did s o within 6 months. Patients in Group 1 had a significantly higher rate of satisfactory results than those in Group 2 (P < 0.05).