Forearm compartment syndrome due to acquired hemophilia that required massive blood transfusions after fasciotomy:A case report

BACKGROUND Acquired hemophilia is rare.In some cases,the bleeding in muscle causes compartment syndrome.However,it is not clear whether fasciotomy should be performed for the compartment syndrome caused by acquired hemophilia because of the risk of bleeding and the unknown functional results.CASE SUMMARY A 75-year-old woman was admitted with severe pain of the right forearm with no preceding traumatic event.The right forearm was obviously swollen,and stretch pain was observed.Subcutaneous hematomas were suspected in various parts of the body.Compartment pressure was 110 mmHg on the volar side.Activated partial thromboplastin time(aPTT)was prolonged to 54.9 s.Fasciotomy was performed,and hematoma was observed in the volar compartment.Postoperative laboratory examinations revealed a low level of factor Ⅷ(FⅧ)activity(12.5%)and a high level of FⅧ inhibitor(15.2 bethesda units/mL).Acquired hemophilia A was diagnosed.Though recombinant clotting factors were administered,transfusion of red blood cells reached 46 units(140 mL/unit).Hemostasis was achieved 9 d after fasciotomy.The total cost of the clotting factor concentrates administered reached 28834600 yen.With prednisolone,FⅧ activity and aPTT recovered gradually.Final function of the hand was good in the index finger and excellent in the others.CONCLUSION Fasciotomy resulted in good function of the hand in a case of non-traumatic compartment syndrome caused by acquired hemophilia,but life-threatening bleeding occurred,and the cost of clotting factor treatment was high.Preparation of sufficient blood transfusion,preoperative administration of recombinant activated clotting factor Ⅶ,and prompt fasciotomy could be ideal for such cases.

Endoscopic fasciotomy for chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the forearm:Systematic review of outcomes and complications

BACKGROUND Endoscopic fasciotomy of the forearm for chronic exertional compartment syndrome(CECS)has gained popularity recently.AIM To systematically review the literature of endoscopic fasciotomy for CECS of the forearm,aiming to assess the outcomes and complications of the different endoscopic fasciotomy techniques described in the literature.METHODS On January 18,2021,PubMed and EMBASE were searched by 3 reviewers independently,and all relevant studies published up to that date were considered based on predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria.The subject headings“endoscopic fasciotomy”and“compartment syndrome”and their related key terms were used.The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was used to screen the articles.RESULTS A total of seven studies including 183 patients(355 forearms)were included.The mean age of the patients was 31.2 years(range:15-42 years).The postoperative follow-up duration ranged from 6 wk to 4.9 years.All patients were able to return to sport activities between postoperative weeks 1 to 8.Recurrence of the compartment syndrome occurred in three patients,giving a rate of 1.6%per patient and 0.8%per forearm.The overall complication rate was 8.7%per patient,and 4.5%per forearm.The most common reported complication was hematoma(7 forearms;2.0%).CONCLUSION Endoscopic fasciotomy for CECS of the forearm has favorable short-and midterm outcomes with very low recurrence and complication rates.This,however,needs to be confirmed in larger,long-term follow-up,prospective,comparative studies between open,mini-open and endoscopic fasciotomy techniques.

Compartment Syndrome of the Leg Requiring Emergent Fasciotomy Resulting from Multi-Drug Overdose

A paucity of literature exists linking acute extremity compartment syndrome associated with cocaine or olanzapine overdose. LJ, a 38-year male, was initially seen at an outside hospital for acute encephalopathy and left lower extremity swelling shortly after cocaine and suspected olanzapine overdose. On presentation, totalcreatinine kinase levels were >1000 units/liter but quickly rose to 23,000 units/liter after 12 hours. He was transferred to a tertiary care center for surgical evaluation. Upon the exam, it was quickly determined that he had compartment syndrome and he was urgently taken to the operating room for a four-compartment lower extremity fasciotomy. Acute compartment syndrome is a limb threatening condition generally diagnosed clinically. Cocaine, a potent vasoconstrictor, is widely reported to cause rhabdomyolysis from ischemia of skeletal muscle tissue and direct toxicity to myocytes resulting in leakage of creatinine kinase. Other complications including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and gastrointestinal disturbances have also been well documented. Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, has also been reported to cause rhabdomyolysis. However, myositis with lower extremity compartment syndrome is a rare occurrence and requires quick diagnosis and aggressive treatment in order to achieve limb salvage. The potential causality of compartment syndrome from either cocaine, olanzapine, or both will be examined in this case report.

Finger compartment syndrome due to a high-pressure washer injury:A case report

BACKGROUND Although the finger compartment syndrome is not common,it compresses the neurovascular bundles in a limited space and blocks blood flow to the fingers,causing necrosis of the fingertips.Finger fasciotomy through unilateral or bilateral midline release of the finger can achieve decompression of the finger compartment.Herein,we report a case of the compartment syndrome in a finger injury caused by a high-pressure water flow which is commonly used in car washing stations.CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old man injured his right middle finger while using a high-pressure washer at a car washing station.The patient complained of severe pain in his middle finger and a 0.2 cm punctured open wound on the volar side of the distal phalangeal joint of the middle finger.The fingertip was pale,numb,and characterized by severe swelling and a limited range of motion.Finger radiography showed that there was no fracture in the finger.Digital decompression was performed through finger fasciotomy by bilateral midline incision.On the second day after surgery,the color of the fingertip returned to pink,swelling was resolved,and the range of motion returned to normal.The sensation of the fingertip was completely restored,and the capillary refill test and pinprick test were positive.CONCLUSION The fingertip compartment syndrome can be caused by a high-pressure water flow damage to the fingers when using high-pressure washers at a car washing station.To avoid finger necrosis,rapid diagnosis of the finger compartment syndrome and appropriate digital decompression are essential to better outcome.

Nursing outcomes of traditional Chinese medicine adjunctive therapy on osteofascial compartment syndrome:a review

The rate of disability due to acute osteofascial compartment syndrome(OCS)is high,and the therapeutic effect of decompressive fasciotomy is not ideal.This paper retrospectively reviews the modern treatment of OCS,including Western medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),mainly in the context of the advantages of TCM in the treatment process of decompressive fasciotomy or conservative treatment to the patients who are suffering from OCS.It was found that TCM treatment reduced the levels of serum creatine kinase(CK),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),and aspartate aminotransferase(AST);it is beneficial to the elimination of swelling and pain.TCM adjunctive therapy promotes patients’postoperative functional recovery and decreases the occurrence of fasciotomy in patients;TCM can relieve tissue hypoxia of compartments and prevent necrosis of muscle and nerve tissue.TCM treatment improves the quality of medical service and ensures the safety of OCS patients.This paper aims to summarize the function of TCM in the treatment of OCS,provide reference for the clinical treatment of OCS,and improve the nursing/medical outcomes of OCS.

Derivation of a Standardized Method to Identify the Anterior Compartment of the Lower Extremity Using Point-of-Care Ultrasonography

Introduction: Anterior compartment syndrome (ACS) of the lower extremity is a well-recognized surgical emergency. The anterior compartment is the most frequently missed of the four compartments during lower extremity fasciotomy. This study describes a novel approach that combines sonographic measurements and physical examination landmarks to accurately identify the anterior compartment. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a prospective anatomical study of 94 volunteers at a single institution. Physical exam and sonographic methods were utilized to derive measurements of the anterior compartment, followed by biometric and validation data. Results: Volunteers for the derivation and validation phases of study were similar regarding gender, height and weight, age, and BMI. The derivation set revealed the distance to the anterior compartment to be 2.77 cm (median 2.6 cm, range 1.5 - 5.4 cm) from the mid-axial line and resulted in identification of the anterior compartment 100% of the time (p < 0.001). Findings were reproducible in the internal validation set with 100% accuracy. Conclusion: The fascial planes of the anterior compartment can be identified with 100% accuracy when utilizing physical examination and sonographic methods. This can serve as a foundation for future studies evaluating ways to reduce of the number of missed anterior compartment fasciotomies in the setting of ACS.

Ultrasound-Guided Plantar Fascia Release with Needle: A Novel Surgical Technique

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a new procedure, ultrasound-guided partial plantar fasciotomy with needle for plantar fasciosis. Methods: This study was carried out on 16 patients, 9 men and 7 women, with average age 47.5, diagnosed with plantar fasciosis, who were treated through ultrasound-guided partial plantar fasciotomy using multiple perforations. Clinical assessments and ultrasounds of all patients were carried out before treatment, after a week, then after 1, 3 and 12 months. For the clinical assessment the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) were used. Results: There was significant progress at 95% (Greenhouse-Geisser p < 0.001) of the VAS and the FADI during the study. We had no nerve or other complications: paraesthesia of the entry portal or vascular lesions. Conclusion: Ultrasound- guided partial plantar fasciotomy using multiple perforations is a safe technique, with very satisfactory preliminary results, reducing recovery times and time off work. The technique can be performed in the specialist’s consultation room with local anaesthesia, without the need for stitches and with very fast recovery, thus reducing costs. It can be performed on patients with underlying pathology such as diabetes mild to moderate, vascular insufficiency, heart disease or other comorbidities, so this technique could be an improvement on other open plantar fasciotomy surgical techniques.

Minimally invasive treatment of the KobyGard system for plantar fasciitis： a retrospective study

Background Calcodynia is a persistent condition that podiatric surgeons frequently see among their patients, and plantar fasciitis is the main reason for pain. When systematic conservative treatments fail to alleviate these conditions, it requires surgical intervention, mainly plantar fascia release surgery, which used to be an open heel release surgery. This study aimed to investigate whether minimally invasive treatment of the KobyGard system is more safe and effective for plantar fasciitis. Methods From May 2009 to May 2012, a total of nine patients, three males and six females with plantar fasciitis, were treated in the Peking University People＇s Hospital with minimally invasive instruments, the KobyGard system, for the release of plantar fascia. Three patients, experiencing bilateral calcaneodynia, underwent bilateral surgery. One patient had bilateral calcaneodynia with enthesiopathy of Achilles tendon, and underwent Achilles tendon surgery. Preoperative and postoperative Visual Analogue Scale （VAS）, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society （AOFAS） ankle and hindfoot scores, Roles and Maudsley scores and SF-36 questionnaires were evaluated. Results The nine patients were successfully followed up. The average postoperative follow-up time was 13.2 months and it varied from 2.0 months to 21.0 months. Pre- and postoperative average scores of VAS was 9.3 and 1.9 （P 〈0.001）, respectively. Pre- and postoperative average scores of AOFAS hind foot was 36.0 and 82.0 （P 〈0.001）, respectively. There was also a statistically significant amelioration in SF-36 scores and the Roles and Maudlesy scores. Eight patients were satisfied with the surgery outcome. Conclusion Minimally invasive surgery treatment of the KobyGard system for plantar fasciitis has the advantages of shorter operation time, ease of operation, and similar satisfaction rates with open surgery, but with smaller surgical incision.