Table 4.

Diagnostic criteria for acute lumbar paraspinal compartment syndrome

Criteria/Description
1. Excruciating localised back pain following an inciting event such as downhill skiing, direct trauma or post-surgery. Pain increased on flexion and relieved on extension
2. No prior history of back pain
3. Clinical features:
(i) Bilateral or unilateral paraspinal muscle board like rigidity
(ii) Hypoactive bowel sounds with diffuse abdominal tenderness
(iii) Localised sensory loss in the paraspinal region with or without localised muscleatrophy
4. Investigations:
(i) Elevated CPK (more than 2,000–40,000)
(ii) Elevated SGOT
(iii) Urine myoglobinuria
(iv) Elevated intramuscular pressure – approximately 70–80 mm Hg
(v) MRI – Homogenous increase in signal intensity in T2 within the compartment