Acute compartment syndrome of the anterior compartment of the arm following a traumatic distal biceps rupture with rupture of a high-take off radial artery: A case report

Abstract

Background: Acute compartment syndrome of the upper arm is a rare occurrence and is recorded sparsely in the literature. There are a handful documented cases of this occurring in the setting of a distal biceps tendon rupture. Case report: A 45-year-old man sustained a distal biceps rupture post low energy fall, and subsequently developed anterior arm compartment syndrome. On imaging, it was found he had a concurrent rupture of a high take-off radial artery (or brachioradial artery) causing a large compressive haematoma. He had an emergent evacuation of haematoma, fasciotomy and ligation of the ruptured artery. After a delayed distal biceps tendon repair, he has made a full recovery at three months follow-up. Conclusion: It is vital to recognise the signs of acute compartment syndrome as a missed event may have devastating consequences. It is imperative not to dismiss such a possibility in the upper arm because of its rare occurrence, and not to be misled by a distracting injury. Early recognition and emergent surgical decompression is the key to successful management.

Keywords

• Acute compartment syndrome
• Anterior arm
• Distal biceps rupture
• High take-off radial artery