Certain fibrous brands formed by tissues develop compartments by separating muscles in different areas like lower leg and forearm. This generalized swelling can’t be accommodated by these fibrous tissues. These tissues can’t be stretched as they’re quite inflexible. You’ll rarely experience compartment syndrome in other areas of the body that bear muscle compartments, like your feet and hands.

Swelling caused by an injury may result in acute compartment syndrome. Alternatively, it might turn out to be chronic due to athletic exertion.

Muscles are placed inside fascia or thick fibrous tissue bands that form compartments. Following an injury, pressure inside any compartment may be increased to cause bleeding or swelling. Pressure worth 0-15 mmHg is usually generated within the compartment of a non-contracting muscle. Compartment syndrome is usually developed in individuals whose compartment pressure increases till 30 -45mmHg. Whenever the compartment pressures reach such height it prevents circulation of blood within the nerves and muscles to provide them with nutrients and oxygen. It is then that swelling and pain show up as symptoms of compartment syndrome.

As the supply of oxygen and blood decrease within the muscle cells, anaerobic metabolism is used by them and they start dying. A failure to recognize such condition may slacken its treatment, and as a result of this the entire muscle might contract, scar down and die. Likewise, the damaged nerve cells may ultimately fail and cause weakness and numbness even in areas adjacent to the site of injury. To avoid death, an individual may even need to get the limb amputated in the event necrosis or infection develops.

Once the supply of blood gets re-established following its loss for a brief period over a certain area, it might result in compartment swelling. A few such instances are: a) whenever a surgery is conducted to repair a blood vessel following its damage; b) when someone gets into a car accident, finds his legs compressed and trapped in heavy debris, and finally gets it pulled out of the debris after a brief period.

Compartment syndrome is often caused by a swelling that surfaces when an individual fails to lift a limb that got casted, or it could also be an outcome of casts or bandages that were fastened more tightly. Compartment syndrome may be caused due to use of anabolic steroid, any form of envenomation (e.g. snake bite), or burns. It might also occur due to unrestricted exercise that involves repetitive use of muscle causing irritation and swelling.