Etiology of trauma-related acute compartment syndrome of the forearm: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) can be caused by multiple causes that affect people of different ages. It is considered an orthopedic emergency condition that requires immediate diagnosis and surgical intervention to avoid devastating complications and irreversible damages. This systematic review aimed to present the etiology of trauma-related forearm ACS. METHODS: A systematic review was performed on four different databases: Embase, Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Cochrane Database of systematic review register databases via Ovid, with no restriction on dates (last date was June 30, 2021). It included all the studies containing data about the etiology of trauma-related forearm ACS. RESULTS: A total of 4893 articles were retrieved: 122 met the inclusion criteria, 39 were excluded, 25 were out of scope and 14 had insufficient details. Hence, this review constituted 83 articles and 684 patients. The etiology of ACS causing forearm ACS was classified into three groups: fracture-related, soft tissue injury-related and vascular injury-related. The fracture-related group was the most common group (65.4%), followed by soft tissue injury (30.7%), then vascular injuries (3.9%). Furthermore, supracondylar humerus fractures were the most common cause of fractures related to forearm ACS. Blunt traumas were the most common cause of soft tissue injuries-related forearm ACS, and brachial artery injuries were the most common cause of vascular-related forearm ACS. CONCLUSION: Frequent assessment of patients with the most prevalent etiologies of forearm ACS is recommended for early detection of forearm ACS and to save limbs.