The fascial compartments of the leg are the four
fascial compartments that separate and contain the
muscle
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of mus ...
s of the lower leg (from the knee to the ankle). The compartments are divided by
septa
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...
formed from the
fascia
A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs ...
. The compartments usually have nerve and
blood supplies separate from their neighbours. All of the muscles within a compartment will generally be supplied by the same
nerve
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system.
A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the ...
.
Intermuscular septa
The lower
leg is divided into four compartments by the
interosseous membrane of the leg, the
anterior intermuscular septum, the
transverse intermuscular septum and the
posterior intermuscular septum.
Each compartment contains connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels. The septa are formed from the fascia which is made up of a strong type of connective tissue. The fascia also separates the skeletal muscles from the subcutaneous tissue. Due to the great pressure placed on the leg, from the column of blood from the heart to the feet, the fascia is very thick in order to support the leg muscles. The thickness of the fascia can give problems when any inflammation present in the leg has little room to expand into. Blood vessels and nerves can also be affected by the pressure caused by any swelling in the leg. If the pressure becomes great enough,
blood flow
Hemodynamics or haemodynamics are the dynamics of blood flow. The circulatory system is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms of autoregulation, just as hydraulic circuits are controlled by control systems. The hemodynamic response continuously m ...
to the muscle can be blocked, leading to a condition known as
compartment syndrome
Compartment syndrome is a condition in which increased pressure within one of the body's anatomical compartments results in insufficient blood supply to tissue within that space. There are two main types: acute and chronic. Compartments of the ...
. Severe damage to the nerve and blood vessels around a muscle can cause the muscle to die and amputation might be necessary.
Compartments
Additional images
File:Fascial compartments of leg - animation.gif, Animation
File:Braus 1921 293.png, Cross-section of the right leg.
See also
*
Fascial compartments of thigh
*
Fascial compartments of arm
The fascial compartments of arm refers to the specific anatomical term of the compartments within the upper segment of the upper limb (the arm) of the body. The upper limb is divided into two segments, the arm and the forearm. Each of these ...
*
Fascial compartments of forearm
References
External links
Diagram at patientcareonline.com
{{Lower limb general
Muscles of the lower limb