Haematoma block for fractures of the wrist: a cause of compartment syndrome.

A case of compartment syndrome after haematoma block for a fracture of the distal radius is reported. This seems to be the first report of this complication. A review of the literature revealed seven other cases of compartmental ischaemia reported after fracture of the distal radius, and a haematoma block was used in all the cases where the type of anaesthesia was known. It is suggested that the additional fluid added for a haematoma block can precipitate a compartment syndrome, which may be more common than the scarcity of cases reported would indicate.