Minimally Invasive Treatment of Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome: A Case Series
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome causes exertion-induced limb pain. It predominantly affects young athletes and the diagnosis is confirmed by measuring intracompartmental pressure. Fasciotomy is the treatment of choice when symptoms do not respond to conservative management. Minimally invasive decompression has gained increasing attention because of its lower morbidity and faster patient recovery. Objective: To describe the surgical technique and its clinical, functional, and patient-reported outcomes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on three men with chronic exertional compartment syndrome who underwent surgery between 2021 and 2025. The following variables were analyzed: demographic characteristics, pain assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), function assessed using PROMIS®, quality of life assessed using the EuroQol-5D, sports activity level assessed using the Tegner Activity Scale, complications, and patient satisfaction. Results: The median age was 27 years. Pain decreased from 10 to 2. The PROMIS® T-score increased from 49.0 to 55.0, and the EuroQol-5D score increased from 0.85 to 1.0. Two patients exceeded their preinjury sports activity level, and one returned to the same level. One minor complication was recorded. Conclusions: Minimally invasive fasciotomy achieved satisfactory preliminary clinical and functional outcomes; however, larger comparative studies are needed to validate these findings.Downloads
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