Is eccentric muscle contraction a significant factor in the development of chronic anterior compartment syndrome? A review of the literature

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this article was to review published articles investigating the association of eccentric contractions of the anterior compartment with an increase in intramuscular pressure. Methods An electronic review using Medline, Amed and Science Direct returned 49 papers, seven of which were considered suitable. Manually browsing reference lists of these led to the identification of a further five relevant papers. A further nine papers were considered as suitable for background reading. Results Results of previous studies have indicated that there is a relationship between excessive eccentric contractions, delayed onset of muscle soreness, and an increase in intramuscular pressure. However, due to the differences in a number of variables between these studies a direct comparison cannot be made. Conclusion Eccentric contractions of the anterior compartment have, in the short term, been associated with an increase in intra-compartmental pressure and delayed onset of muscle soreness in studies on healthy volunteers. There is no evidence as yet that there is a further association with the development of chronic anterior compartment syndrome. The long term effect of excessive eccentric contraction is believed to be a reduction of compliance in and loss of elasticity of the fascia, which is probably irreversible.