In some cases, it’s necessary to measure the pressure in the compartment. If you have severe pain when they stretch your muscles in the affected compartment, that’s a sign of compartment syndrome. Your healthcare provider can often make the diagnosis of compartment syndrome by discussing the history of your injury and examining you. How do you diagnose compartment syndrome? But it may require surgery if nonoperative treatments don’t work. The good news is that it’s a less severe problem, so it’s not usually an emergency. Vigorous exercise causes it, and it commonly occurs in the leg. “Chronic exertional compartment syndrome” is a different type of compartment syndrome. Some examples include:Ĭompartment syndrome can also occur if a cast is too tight or after a procedure to repair a blood vessel. In these cases, bleeding into the compartment causes the pressure to rise. Usually some sort of injury causes compartment syndrome. When these occur, it may mean there’s already some damage. Loss of pulses and muscle paralysis are later findings in compartment syndrome. Pulselessness (weak or absent pulse in the affected area) Paresthesias (numbness, tingling, pins and needles) The “five P’s” is one way to help you remember the common signs and symptoms of compartment syndrome: Paresthesias, such as numbness or tingling, can also occur in the affected limb. It’s usually “out of proportion to the injury,” meaning the pain is greater than what you would expect from the injury. The primary symptom of compartment syndrome is pain, which can be severe and uncontrollable. The upper leg (thigh) and hand also have compartments, but compartment syndrome in these areas is less common. The forearm and upper arm have two compartments, although some experts say there are three. This is called “necrosis.” And it leads to disability because necrosis is irreversible.Ĭompartment syndrome most commonly occurs in the lower leg, which has four compartments. If high pressure within a compartment doesn’t get relief in time, the lack of blood flow causes the muscles to die. “Compartment syndrome” occurs when high pressure affects blood flow within a compartment. These tissues can’t stretch, so high pressure in a compartment prevents normal blood flow to everything within that compartment. Thick tissue (fascia) works as a sort of wall that divides your arms and legs into compartments. Here we’ll discuss what you need to know about compartment syndrome, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. This is why compartment syndrome is a medical emergency. Muscle tissue can die when it doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen. If the pressure is high enough, it can prevent the muscles from getting proper blood supply. Certain injuries can cause bleeding into a compartment, which increases the pressure there. Compartments are spaces in your body that contain muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |