title: Ischemic contracture of deep posterior compartment of the leg following isolated ankle fracture.
abstract: Compartment syndromes and ischemic contractures after ankle fractures are exceedingly rare. We report a case in which a Weber type-C ankle fracture resulted in an unrecognized compartment syndrome and ischemic contracture of deep posterior compartment of the leg. Six weeks after injury, the patient had an obvious deformity and clawing of the toes. The deformities were corrected by lengthening the flexor hallucis longus and the flexor digitorum longus. Full correction of all clawed toes was evident. A deep posterior compartment syndrome may follow an ankle fracture and should be considered in any patient with unrelenting pain in the immediate postoperative period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, "San Cecilio" University Hospital, Granada, Spain. hdzcp@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hernández-Cortés
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pajares-López
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Hernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D054061:Ischemic Contracture / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery