Sixty-six cases of acute compartment syndrome were treated by fasciotomy
in forty-six extremities of forty-four patients. Fasciotomy performed
early, that is, less than twelve hours after the onset of the compartment
syndrome, resulted in normal function in 68 per cent of the extremities.
Only 8 per cent of those having late fasciotomy had normal function. The
complication rates for the early and late fasciotomized extremities were
4.5 per cent and 54 per cent, respectively. No significant differences in
residual function or complication rate were noted with "open" or "closed"
fasciotomy.