ArticleSports health
Outcomes of Surgically Treated Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome in Runners.
Article in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Delayed Diagnosis to Definitive Treatment: Diagnostic Delay and Outcomes After Endoscopic-Assisted Fasciotomy for Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Association Between Number of Positive Pedowitz Criteria and Outcome After a Fasciotomy for Lower Leg Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Intramuscular Pressure and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients Surgically Treated for Anterior Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2023Article
- Predictors of Positive Outcomes and a Scoring System to Guide Management After Fasciotomy for Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2022Article
- Predicting surgical outcomes for chronic exertional compartment syndrome using a machine learning framework with embedded trust by interrogation strategies.Scientific reports · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is primarily seen in running athletes. Previous outcomes of surgical treatment with fasciotomy have suggested moderate pain relief, but evidence is lacking regarding postoperative return to running. HYPOTHESIS: Running athletes with limiting symptoms of CECS will show high rates of return to running after fasciotomy. STUDY
designCase series. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.
methodsRunning athletes treated with fasciotomy for CECS at a single institution were identified using a surgical database and asked to complete a questionnaire designed to assess postoperative pain, activity level, return to running, running distances, overall satisfaction, and rate of revision fasciotomy.
resultsA total of 43 runners met the inclusion criteria, and 32 runners completed outcomes questionnaires at a mean postoperative follow-up of 66 months. In total, 27 of these 32 patients (84%) returned to sport(s) after fasciotomy. However, 9 (28%) of these patients pursued nonrunning sports, 5 (16%) due to recurrent pain with running. Of the 18 patients who returned to running sports (56%), the mean weekly running distance decreased postoperatively. Recurrence of symptoms was reported in 6 patients (19%), 4 of whom had returned to running and 2 of whom had been unable to return to sports. All of these 6 patients elected to undergo revision fasciotomy surgery. Twenty-five (78.1%) patients reported being satisfied with their procedure. In the overall cohort, the mean visual analog scale scores for pain during activities/sports decreased from 7.9 preoperatively to 1.7 postoperatively.
conclusionFasciotomy for CECS in runners may provide significant improvement in pain and satisfaction in over three-quarters of patients and return to sports in 84% of patients. However, only 56% returned to competitive running activity, with a subset (19%) developing recurrent symptoms resulting in revision surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Fasciotomy has been shown to decrease pain in most patients with CECS. This study provides outcomes in running athletes after fasciotomy for CECS with regard to return to sports, maintenance of sports performance, and rates of revision surgery.
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