Intramuscular pressure recording in the assessment of patients with suspected chronic compartment syndrome

This report presents results from intramuscular pressure recordings in 181 consecutive patients. All patients were suspected on clinical grounds of suffering from chronic compartment syndrome (CCS). The diagnostic criterion used in this study was an intramuscular pressure exceeding 30 mmHg immediately postexercise. Most of the pressure studies were made with the micro-capillary infusion technique. CCS in the anterior tibial compartment was diagnosed in 36 of 165 patients with anterior or anterolateral exercise-induced pain. Regarding measurements in other lower-leg compartments, CCS was diagnosed in only one patient in the superficial posterior compartment. CCS was more commonly found in men than in women. It is concluded that, even in highly selected cases, CCS is a rather uncommon cause of exercise-induced pain, predominantly found in the anterior tibial compartment