A young man born in the 1990s accidentally fell and almost had his left hand amputated. Finally, through timely treatment by doctors, the left hand was saved. Trauma surgery experts from Houhu District of Wuhan Central Hospital remind you to be careful of compartment syndrome aft

90 The young man accidentally fell down and almost had his left hand amputated. Finally, through timely treatment by doctors, the left hand was saved. Trauma surgery experts from Houhu District of Wuhan Central Hospital remind you to be careful of compartment syndrome after a fracture.

28-year-old Mr. Wu (surnamed Hua) lives in Houhu. He accidentally fell from his chair while changing a light tube at home more than a month ago. Because he used his left hand to support the ground when he landed on the ground, Mr. Wu immediately developed swelling, pain and deformity in his left elbow. The pain was unbearable, and her family immediately took Xiaoying to a nearby hospital for treatment. At that time, Mr. Wu was diagnosed with a fracture of his left forearm in another hospital. After being put in a plaster cast, he returned home to recuperate. The night after he returned home, Mr. Wu discovered that slight touch on the fracture site would cause severe pain. The swelling on the back of his fingers and hands became more severe and gradually became numb. He then went to the Houhu District Trauma Center of Wuhan Central Hospital for consultation.

Deputy Chief Physician Guo Qinghao of the Trauma Surgery Department who received the diagnosis diagnosed after examination that this was a serious complication of fracture " compartment syndrome " that required immediate surgical decompression. Director Guo introduced it to Mr. Wu and his family "Compartment syndrome" refers to the increased pressure in the forearm muscle space after a fracture, resulting in compression and ischemia of the tissues within it. If the muscles and nerves are not treated in time, they will be ischemic necrosis, which may lead to amputation in severe cases.

Director Guo promptly performed "incisional decompression surgery + artificial skin covering for compartment syndrome of humeral condyle fracture" on Mr. Wu. After the operation, the swelling of the patient's forearm slowly subsided, the patient's sensory movements gradually recovered, and amputation was avoided. Danger.

Experts remind that "compartment syndrome" is more common in limb fractures and muscle injuries. The fascia of the body and upper arms is thin and elastic, making compartment syndrome less likely to occur after injury. The fascia of the calf and forearm is thick, tough, inelastic, and both have double bones and interosseous membranes, making compartment syndrome prone to occur. Commonly seen in supracondylar humerus fractures , forearm fractures, distal femoral fractures and tibia and fibula fractures of the lower leg. Patients with splint cast immobilization after limb fracture surgery, patients with limb crush injuries, patients whose limbs are squeezed by heavy objects for a long time, and people who exercise strenuously or walk for a long time may also suffer from "compartment syndrome". Beware of compartment syndrome after a fracture.

Source: Wuhan Science and Technology News

Reporter: Xiao Kai

Correspondent: Ma Yaoyao