Acute Anterior Compartment Syndrome of the Thigh without a Fracture Following a Blunt Trauma - A Case Report.

Abstract

Acute compartment syndrome of the thigh is an orthopedic emergency. Compartment syndrome of the thigh without a fracture or any other associated pre-injury pathology is scantily reported in the literature. Lack of awareness and inexperience often results in a failure to diagnose it. In this article, we are presenting a rare case of acute compartment syndrome involving the anterior compartment of the thigh without any bony abnormality or a fracture in a 62-year-old male who sustained an injury to his lateral aspect of the right thigh by a fall from a height. We performed an emergency fasciotomy and decompression of the involved compartment. The patient needed a subsequent skin grafting for the wound closure. Finally, after 7 months of follow-up, an excellent clinical outcome of the affected limb has been achieved decompression of the involved compartment. The patient needed a subsequent skin grafting for the wound closure. Finally, after 7 months of follow-up, an excellent clinical outcome of the affected limb has been achieved. Thigh compartment syndrome without a fracture or other pre-injury pathological abnormalities of the thigh is relatively rare, hence there is often a fair risk that a case will go unnoticed. Therefore, a high index of clinical suspicion and prompt treatment can protect a patient with thigh compartment syndrome from long-term disability.