Anterior Compartment Syndrome

What is anterior compartment syndrome?

The anterior compartment of the lower leg is at the front of the shin, just on the outside of the shin bone. This compartment contains the muscles Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Digitorum Longus and Extensor Hallucis Longus.

The compartments of the lower leg are separated by sheaths, as shown in the picture opposite. Individual muscles are also surrounded by a sheath. Anterior compartment syndrome arises when the Tibialis Anterior inparticular becomes too big for the compartment and the sheath that surrounds it, resulting in pain. Compartment syndromes can be acute or chronic.

Symptoms

• Pain in the muscle on the outside of the shin bone
• There may be obvious swelling and it might be tender to touch over the front of the shin.
• Weakness or difficulty in pointing the toes up (dorsiflexion).
• It might hurt or feel tight to point the toes downwards (plantarflexion) as this stretches these muscles.

If the condition becomes chronic you may experience:

• Pain that gets worse the more you use it meaning you can't exercise.
• Pain which eases with rest but returns every time you exercise.

Causes

• A direct impact to the front of the leg which causes bleeding and swelling within the compartment and reduces space.
• An overuse injury, which causes swelling in the compartment.
• A muscle tear, causing bleeding and swelling in the compartment.

Treatment

• Rest from aggravating activities like running
• Apply ice and compression for 15 minutes at a time on a regular basis.
• See a sports injury professional or Doctor who can treat it and give you exercises.
• A Doctor or specialist may recommend anti-inflammatories e.g. ibuprofen.
• They may use sports massage to reduce swelling and loosen the muscle.
• A specialist can assess your foot position and correct any problems with orthotics (insoles).
• If nothing works a small surgical procedure involving making two small incisions can ease the pressure.

Further Information

• Anterior compartment syndrome - for further information on treatment including rehabilitation, taping, sports massage, stretching and more visit sportsinjuryclinic.net