Peroneal compartment syndrome. Report of a case.

The anterior tibial syndrome is well known. It was described by Vogt in 1943 and numerous reports have since been published (Horn 1945; Hughes 1948; Carter, Richards and Zachary 1949; Blandy and Fuller 1957; Paton 1968). The etiology of the condition remains obscure but the clinical features are well recognised : gradually increasing pain in the muscles of the anterior tibial compartment, beginning during exercise and progressing after exercise has ceased, leading to induration, oedema and redness in the affected area and impairment of function in the affected muscles and in the anterior tibial nerve. It is less well known that the muscles and nerves of the peroneal compartment may be affected in a similar way : only four cases have been recorded (Blandy and Fuller 1957; Reszel, Janes and Spittell 1963: Lunceford 1965).