Rapidly increasing either intensity or duration without an adequate conditioning period can lead to trauma to the muscles and/or bones and cause injury that may lead to bleeding inside the compartment. Gradually increasing intensity and duration of activities is important.When new activities are added to the program it is important to note any pain and if they cannot be adjusted to relieve the pain they should be discontinued. Activities that cause pain should be avoided or limited as much as possible.Warm muscles are more flexible and less likely to be torn or injured. Warm packs and heat retaining coverings may be used to warm the area before an activity and keep it warm during exercise. This will also minimize the chances of injury to the muscles. Warming the muscles properly will prepare it for the upcoming activity and allow a slow increase in muscle size. Also running through this compartment are the posterior tibial artery and vein along with the tibial nerve. The deep posterior compartment is tucked in between the tibia and fibula and contains the flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallicus longus, popliteus and the tibialis posterior. The superficial posterior compartment covers the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles and is behind the tibia and fibula. The anterior compartment houses the tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallicus longus, and the peroneus tertius muscles and is bordered by the tibia and fibula. The anterior compartment is the most injured of the four compartments. The lateral compartment is the fourth compartment in the lower leg. The posterior area consists of the superficial compartment and the deep compartment. In the lower leg, compartment syndrome usually involves either the anterior compartment, over the front lateral side of the shin, or one of the posterior compartments, behind the tibia. The quadriceps muscle is another candidate for this condition but due to its size and the lesser incidence of injury it is still far less common than lower leg compartment syndrome. This pressure will begin to diminish after the exercise is stopped, although it may stay up for some time after.Īthletes involved in high impact collision and contact sports, such as football and rugby, are more susceptible to acute compartment syndrome, while those involved in repetitive activities, such as running and jumping, are more vulnerable to chronic compartment syndrome.Īnterior and Posterior Compartment SyndromeĬompartment syndrome is most common in the lower leg, although it can happen along any long bone, especially with a fracture. When minor trauma from overwork or repetitive stresses causes the muscle to continue to swell it may become too large for the surrounding fascia thereby increasing the pressure in the compartment. When a muscle is worked it becomes engorged with blood causing it to swell.
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