Compartment syndrome

Compartment syndrome is a condition which generally affects the shin region of the body. It occurs when the compartment (or sheath) surrounding a muscle group is too tight for the enclosed muscles.

An acute compartment syndrome can occur in association with a fractured tibia , when bleeding from the fracture effectively cuts off the blood supply to the muscles. This can be a very serious complication as the muscle may die and prevent an athlete from being able to effectively run. This happened to former Swans player Jamie Lawson after a fractured tibia, which ended his football career.

A chronic compartment syndrome is a more common condition, and although it can be very painful, it is never as serious as an acute compartment syndrome. In chronic compartment syndrome, the size of the shin muscles is almost greater than the surrounding sheath so that after a certain period of time of continuous running, shin pain forces an athlete to rest. Steve Waugh has suffered from compartment syndrome in the past, but had the condition effectively treated with surgery. Newcastle Knights player Timana Tahu is a footballer who has also had successful surgery for this condition.

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