Compartment Syndrome

What is this article about?

The arms and legs are divided into several segments known as fascial compartments. Each compartment comprises a group of muscle tissue, blood vessels and nerves contained within a strong membrane known as the fascia. The fascia is inelastic, preventing the compartments from rapidly expanding. Compartment syndrome is when blood or fluid accumulates in the intracompartmental space and the compartment is unable to stretch to accommodate this increased fluid volume, causing a high level of pressure, which in turn, impedes perfusion to the affected area.