Which is a late sign of compartment syndrome?

Which is a late sign of compartment syndrome?

• A. Pain out of proportion
• B. Pallor
• C. Pulselessness
• D. Paresthesia

Answer: (C)

In acute compartment syndrome, increasing pressure within a closed muscle compartment reduces blood flow and threatens nerves and muscles. The earliest warning is severe pain that feels out of proportion to exam and worsens with passive stretching. As ischemia advances, sensory changes such as numbness or tingling appear, and motor weakness can follow. A pulse may remain detectable until the condition is advanced because arterial flow can be preserved until very high pressures, so losing a distal pulse tends to occur late in the process. This is why pulselessness is considered a late sign and why relying on a pulse alone can miss early, treatable compartment syndrome.

In acute compartment syndrome, increasing pressure within a closed muscle compartment reduces blood flow and threatens nerves and muscles. The earliest warning is severe pain that feels out of proportion to exam and worsens with passive stretching. As ischemia advances, sensory changes such as numbness or tingling appear, and motor weakness can follow. A pulse may remain detectable until the condition is advanced because arterial flow can be preserved until very high pressures, so losing a distal pulse tends to occur late in the process. This is why pulselessness is considered a late sign and why relying on a pulse alone can miss early, treatable compartment syndrome.