Soft Tissue Case 7 Pearl

Compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency that can be diagnosed clinically. It is suspected in the setting of a swollen, painful compartment and pain out of proportion when a muscle in the compartment is passively stretched. If compartment pressures are obtained, the most useful data point is the perfusion pressure (diastolic BP minus intra-compartmental pressure), with <20mmHg being highly associated with compartment syndrome.