[Compartment syndrome].

Among the 4 compartments of the lower leg, the anterior and the deep dorsal compartment show the following significances: both contain important vessels and nerves, both are limited by tense osteofibrous walls. We report on 153 cases of treated compartmental syndrome of the lower leg - in 82 per cent caused by fractures - and 8 cases of CS of the foot. The frequency of irreversible late sequalae such as infection, functional loss or amputation strictly depends upon the time between injury and surgical decompression. The lowest frequency was found in those cases where decompression took place in the phase of impending compartmental syndrome.