Do Creatine Kinase (CK) Levels Influence the Diagnosis or Outcome in Patients with Compartment Syndrome?

We report a retrospective study in patients with compartment syndrome with the aim to analyse: 1) whether the level of rise in CK levels is a useful marker to the presence of compartment syndrome and; 2) whether an early fasciotomy assists in lowering of the elevated CK levels. The results of our study suggest that although raised CK levels are not diagnostic, they are a useful adjunct in making a diagnosis, and hence CK estimation should be done in all patients with suspected compartment syndrome. Moreover, an early fasciotomy (<12 hours) has a statistically significant influence in lowering elevated CK levels, confirming the view that the earlier the decompression, the lesser the muscle damage.