Botulinum toxin as a novel treatment for chronic exertional compartment syndrome in the U.S. military

Wesley M. Hutto, Paul B. Schroeder, Jeffery C. Leggit

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a debilitating condition that is not uncommon in athletes and military service members. The only curative treatment for this condition, surgical fascial release, was first described in 1956. In the ensuing 62 years, this has remained the standard therapy despite symptom recurrence in 45% of military service members who underwent surgery. In 2013, a case series introduced intracompartmental injections of botulinum toxin A as a non-surgical treatment option for CECS, which proved effective in 15 out of 16 patients. In this case report, we present the case of a U.S. military service member treated with BoNT-A for bilateral lower leg CECS. This patient remains pain free at 11 months after initial treatment. This case, coupled with previously published cases series, demonstrates the potential of this novel treatment as a long-term, non-surgical alternative for CECS in the U.S. military population.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberusy223
Pages (from-to)e458-e461
JournalMilitary Medicine
Volume184
Issue number5-6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2019
Externally publishedYes

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