Exercise-induced anterior tibial compartment compression syndrome in the elderly.

Introduction A compartmental syndrome is defined as a condition in which elevated pressure in an osteofascial compartment produces dysfunction or necrosis of the enclosed tissues (Matsen, 1975). The anterior tibial compartment (ATC) is surrounded by dense fibrous tissue, bone and interosseous membrane forming a rigid boundary, thus making raised pressure especially likely to be damaging. The ATC contains the extensors of the foot and toes, the deep peroneal nerve and the anterior tibial blood vessels and pressure damage to these structures produces the clinical picture of the ATC compression syndrome. A raised ATC pressure may be due to vascular occlusion, exercise, trauma or other causes (Bradley, 1973). ATC compression following exercise is a syndrome occurring mostly in young males (Bradley, 1973). It has not previously been reported from an elderly female.