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Acute Compartment Syndrome of Thigh: Ten-Year Experiences from a Level I Trauma Center
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Hyung Keun Song, Won-Tae Cho, Wan-Sun Choi, Seung-Yeob Sakong, Sumin Im
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J Musculoskelet Trauma 2024;37(4):171-174. Published online October 25, 2024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jmt.2024.37.4.171
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 Abstract
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- Purpose
To assess the demographics, injury mechanisms, treatments, and outcomes of traumatic acute compartment syndrome in the thigh.
Materials and Methods
Patients diagnosed with thigh compartment syndrome were analyzed retrospectively at the authors’ level I trauma center from March 2012 to February 2022. Data were collected from medical and radiological records, focusing on demographics, injury details, treatment timelines, and clinical outcomes.
Results
The cohort included 13 patients (11 males and 2 females) with a mean age of 46 years. Injuries primarily resulted from falls (6 patients) and vehicle accidents (5 patients). Fractures were noted in 11 patients, with seven involving the lower extremities and seven having open fractures; three of these were severe enough to be classified as Gustilo–Anderson type IIIc with associated femoral artery injuries. Time from the injury to fasciotomy ranged from within six hours to more than 24 hours. Fasciotomies were mainly single-sided (10 patients), targeting primarily the anterior compartments, and bilateral in three cases. Wound closures were performed using delayed primary closure (four patients) and partial- thickness skin grafts (five patients). Two patients died from multi-organ failure; other complications included infections (three patients), amputations (three patients), and long-term disabilities like drop foot (two patients), sensory deficits, joint stiffness (eight patients), and fracture non-unions requiring additional surgery (two patients).
Conclusion
Thigh-compartment syndrome, though infrequent, poses significant risks of mortality and chronic disability. This underscores the importance of prompt diagnosis and intervention.
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