Compartment syndrome of the hand. Etiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Isolated acute compartment syndrome of the hand is relatively rare phenomenon, Acute compartment syndrome occurs when the tissue pressure within an enclosed space is elevated to the extent that there is decreased blood flow within the space, decreasing tissue oxygenation and impairing metabolic function. In this review, compartment syndrome of the forearm and wrist involving the hand will not be included because the clinical presentation of these patients can be quite different compared with compartment syndrome within the hand.