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What is Compartment Syndrome?

Name: Janicek Law
Address: 1100 NE Interstate 410 Loop #600, San Antonio, Texas, 78209
Telephone: 210-366-4949

July 28, 2023
Personal Injury

Compartment syndrome involves increased pressure within a muscle compartment that restricts blood flow to the affected body area, causing muscle and nerve damage to the affected muscle tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. This condition can develop after an acute injury, such as a severe trauma, crush injury, or broken bone, and may dramatically impair muscle function if not diagnosis and treatment don’t occur quickly. The raised pressure within the compartment rises due to lack of blood flow, swelling, or fluid accumulation, leading to severe pain in the affected area, decreased sensation, and sometimes visible skin swelling in the affected body area.

There are two main forms: acute compartment syndrome and chronic compartment syndrome. Acute compartment syndrome is often triggered by injuries like tibial shaft fractures, severe injury, or a muscle bruise and is considered a medical emergency. In contrast, chronic exertional compartment syndrome, sometimes called chronic compartment syndrome, develops gradually due to repetitive stress on the muscles, such as during intense exercise. Both forms involve excessive pressure within the muscle compartments, compromising the blood supply and increasing the risk of muscle and nerve damage.

In traumatic acute compartment syndrome, symptoms include unusual pain that persists despite pain medicines, severe swelling, and decreased sensation in the affected muscle or lower leg, often accompanied by a feeling of tightness. Left untreated, it can lead to permanent nerve injury, tissue death, or even amputation. Early diagnosis is essential to reduce the risk of long-term damage, as compartment syndrome can occur quickly after severe trauma or a bruised muscle severe sprain, impairing function in areas like the upper arm, lower leg, or other muscle compartments.

If you were involved in an accident that caused compartment syndrome, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. San Antonio personal injury attorneys at Janicek Law have been helping their clients in personal injury lawsuits receive maximum compensation for over 25 years. Call 210-366-4949 to schedule a free consultation.

Compartment Syndromes

Compartment syndrome is separated into two separate categories:

Acute Compartment Syndrome

Acute compartment syndrome is a serious medical condition that occurs when increased pressure within a muscle compartment restricts blood flow, leading to potential damage to the muscle tissue, nerves, and surrounding blood vessels. This condition is often caused by severe trauma, such as a crush injury, broken bone, or a tibial shaft fracture, and can develop rapidly following injury. Symptoms include severe pain that does not improve with pain medicines, swelling, decreased sensation, and tightness in the affected area. Without prompt treatment to relieve pressure, such as surgery to open the compartment, acute compartment syndrome can result in permanent nerve injury, loss of muscle function, or even tissue death, making it a medical emergency that requires immediate intervention.

Chronic Compartment Syndrome

Chronic compartment syndrome, also known as chronic exertional compartment syndrome, is a condition that develops gradually due to repetitive stress or overuse of muscles, often during activities like running or cycling. This type of compartment syndrome occurs when exercise causes increased pressure within a muscle compartment, reducing blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues. Symptoms typically include leg pain, tightness, and cramping that worsens with activity and improves with rest. It is most common in the lower leg but can affect other muscle compartments. Unlike acute cases, it is not an emergency, but if untreated, it can still lead to long-term discomfort and impaired muscle function. Diagnosis often requires a pressure meter test, and treatment may involve rest, physical therapy, or, in severe cases, surgery to alleviate the excessive pressure.

Specific Types of Compartment Syndrome Cases

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome occurs when increased pressure within the abdominal cavity reduces blood flow to vital organs. This condition can develop after severe trauma, burns, or surgeries and can lead to organ failure if untreated. Symptoms include abdominal pain, swelling, and difficulty breathing, requiring immediate medical attention.

If you’ve sustained this type of compartment syndrome, our San Antonio organ damage lawyer group can help.

Anterior Compartment Syndrome

Anterior Compartment Syndrome affects the muscles and tissues in the front of the lower leg. It is commonly caused by trauma, such as a tibial shaft fracture or a crush injury, leading to severe pain, tightness, and swelling. Without prompt treatment, it can result in muscle and nerve damage in the affected area.

Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome

Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, also known as chronic compartment syndrome, develops gradually due to repetitive activities like running or cycling. This condition causes increased pressure in the muscle compartment, resulting in cramping, tightness, and pain during exercise that subsides with rest. Diagnosis may involve measuring compartment pressure after activity.

Compartment Syndrome Leg

Compartment Syndrome Leg refers to compartment syndrome affecting the lower leg. It can result from trauma, overuse, or fractures, leading to symptoms such as unusual pain, swelling, and loss of sensation in the leg. Without timely treatment, it may cause permanent damage to muscle tissue and nerves.

What are the 5 P’s of Compartment Syndrome?

The 5 P’s of Compartment Syndrome are key clinical signs used to assess the condition, particularly in its advanced stages:

Pain: Severe, disproportionate pain that is unrelieved by medication and worsens with passive movement of the affected muscle.
Pallor: Pale or discolored skin in the affected area due to reduced blood flow.
Paresthesia: Tingling, numbness, or a “pins and needles” sensation resulting from nerve compression.
Paralysis: Loss of movement or difficulty moving the affected area, indicating significant nerve or muscle involvement.
Pulselessness: Absence of a detectable pulse in the affected limb, a late and critical sign indicating severe vascular compromise.

These signs require immediate medical evaluation, as compartment syndrome is a medical emergency that can lead to permanent damage if untreated. If you’ve sustained permanent damage, contact a San Antonio permanent injury lawyer for a free consultation.

Common Compartment Syndrome Causes

A serious injury or physical overexertion can lead to bleeding or swelling in a compartment. Since the fascia doesn’t expand, the bleeding or swelling puts pressure on the muscles and nerves in the injured compartment. That pressure is referred to as compartmental pressure.

When the pressure reaches high levels, blood can’t reach the tissues. Without nutrients and oxygen, the tissues can die, which causes permanent compartment damage. Without treatment, these complications can lead to death.

Compartment syndrome can be caused by the following:

Crush Injuries

Crush injuries often cause compartment syndrome due to extreme force compressing a muscle compartment, leading to venous pressure and restricted blood supply. These injuries are common in accidents involving heavy machinery or collapses.

Orthopedic Injury Cases

Orthopedic injury cases, such as fractures or dislocations, frequently lead to compartment syndrome. For example, a tibia plateau fracture or a tibial shaft fracture can result in swelling and pressure buildup in the affected area.

Bike Accidents

Bike accidents can result in direct trauma to the legs or arms, where impact with the ground or other objects causes swelling or bruising that may lead to compartment syndrome and other knee injuries. If you’ve been injured, contact a San Antonio bike accident lawyer to see how we can help.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents often involve high-impact injuries, such as fractures or crush injuries, that significantly increase the risk of developing compartment syndrome due to severe swelling and tissue pressure. If you sustained serious injuries in a motorcycle incident, a motorcycle accident lawyer in San Antonio can help.

Work Accidents

Work Accidents, particularly in construction or manufacturing, often involve heavy equipment or tools that can cause serious muscle injuries or trauma, increasing the likelihood of developing compartment syndrome. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical to preventing permanent damage. If you sustained a compartment syndrome-related injury on the job, contact our San Antonio injured worker lawyer.

Slips-and-Falls

Compartment syndrome can develop after slip and fall accidents when a severe impact causes a bruised muscle, fracture, or crush injury in a limb, leading to excessive pressure. This raised pressure restricts blood flowing to the blood vessels and can result in pain, nerve damage, and connective tissue death if untreated. A slip and fall lawyer in San Antonio can help victims pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering caused by the accident, ensuring their rights are protected during recovery.

How Common is Compartment Syndrome?

According to a 2023 study, acute compartment syndrome affects 7 out of every 100,000 males and 0.7 out of every 100,000 females in the United States. A tibial shaft fracture is the most common cause of acute compartment syndrome occurring in up to 10% of the cases studied. It also found that men under 35 are at a greater risk of developing compartment syndrome because of the increased probability that they will be involved in higher levels of trauma and their larger intracompartmental muscle mass.

Compartment Syndrome Symptoms

Symptoms of compartment syndrome are:

Paresthesias – a burning or tingling sensation under the skin
Numbness in the affected compartment
Visible swelling or bulging of the muscle
Severe pain and tightness that is more pronounced when you try to move the affected area

Late Sign of Compartment Syndrome

Late signs of compartment syndrome indicate severe progression of the condition and often suggest significant damage to the affected area. These include:

Pulselessness: The absence of a detectable pulse in the affected limb due to compromised blood flow, typically a critical and late-stage indicator.
Paralysis: Inability to move the affected limb, indicating severe nerve and muscle damage.
Paresthesia: Persistent numbness or tingling in the affected area, reflecting prolonged nerve compression.
Severe Swelling: Marked and visible swelling of the affected body area, often accompanied by tight or shiny skin.
Cool or Pale Skin: Skin in the affected area may become cold and pale due to restricted blood supply.

Compartment Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment

If you believe an injury has caused acute compartment syndrome, you must visit an emergency room immediately. These injuries are considered medical emergencies. Without an early diagnosis, they can have life-threatening consequences.

Medical treatment is still important for chronic compartment syndrome, but you can call your doctor instead of visiting the ER. These injuries are less severe, but treatment can help relieve pressure and help your recovery.

To diagnose compartment syndrome, your doctor will do some or all of the following:

Physical exam: During your physical exam, your doctor will evaluate your symptoms to determine if your pain is caused by something else. Compartment syndrome can often be mistaken for tendonitis or shin splints since they have similar symptoms.
X-ray: Your doctor may order an X-ray to check for broken bones.
Compartment pressure measurement test: Since compartment syndrome involves increased nerve and muscle tissue pressure, your doctor will order this test to evaluate the exact pressure. The doctor will insert a needle in the affected compartment to measure the pressure. To complete this test, your doctor may insert the needle into other areas of your body to compare pressure readings.

Compartment Syndrome Treatment

Your doctor will treat your compartment syndrome depending on which type you’re suffering from.

How to Treat Acute Compartment Syndrome

Acute compartment syndrome requires immediate treatment. Your surgeon will perform a fasciotomy by making an incision through the skin and fascia to relieve pressure. If your acute compartment syndrome is in your abdomen, your doctor will perform a decompressive laparotomy. They will make an incision through the skin and abdominal wall to relieve pressure. After the compartment pressure has been reduced and the readings are normal, your doctor will close the incision. In rare cases, the patient will require a skin graft to place over the incision.

How to Treat Chronic Compartment Syndrome

Pain from exertional compartment syndrome usually affects the lower leg and generally will disappear once you’ve stopped exercising. However, it’s important to discuss this with your doctor as they may suggest additional treatments like:

Pain medicine such as NSAIDs or other anti-inflammatory medications
Low impact exercises
Physical therapy
Cross-training
Orthotic inserts for your shoes
Exercising on softer ground, like a running track instead of concrete
If none of the above options relieve the pressure of your chronic compartment syndrome, your doctor may recommend a fasciotomy.

Compartment Syndrome Complications

Complications from not receiving treatment for compartment syndrome can result in the following:

Permanent nerve injury
Deformed or rigid muscles
Permanent muscle damage
Amputation of the lower leg(s)
Paralysis in the lower leg(s) or other muscle compartment
Death

If you suffered an amputation from a physician’s failure to treat acute compartment syndrome, contact our amputation lawyers in San Antonio for a free consultation.

If your loved one suffered a wrongful death because a doctor failed to provide a timely diagnosis and treatment plan, our wrongful death lawyers in San Antonio can help you pursue a wrongful death claim.

Can You Sue for Compartment Syndrome?

If the negligence of another person directly caused your compartment syndrome injury, you can sue for damages. For example, if your compartment syndrome was caused by a car accident, you could file a personal injury lawsuit.

Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Claim

For a personal injury lawsuit, it’s important to prove the four elements of negligence.

Duty of Care: Everyone owes each other a certain standard of care to promote safety.
Breached Duty of Care: A property owner or motorist breached the duty of care.
Causation: The victim suffered from acute compartment syndrome due to the breached duty of care.
Damages: The injured individual suffered damages from compartment syndrome due to the above and is entitled to financial compensation.

A San Antonio compartment syndrome lawyer will work along with you to prove the four elements of negligence to ensure that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries.

San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer for Compartment Syndrome

If you suffered trauma due to another’s negligence, resulting in an acute compartment syndrome diagnosis, you have the right to recover financial compensation. San Antonio personal injury attorneys at Janicek Law have over 25 years of experience advocating for their clients in various personal injury claims like car accidents, premises liability, and more. Our goal is for you to receive maximum compensation for your injuries so that you can focus on your recovery. Call 210-366-4949 for a free consultation.

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