Open abdomen

Abstract

During the past century, a gradual understanding has developed of the abdomen as a compartment. Although compartment syndrome is common and anticipated in calf muscle compartments, any closed, nondis-tensible body space will develop increased intracompartmental pressure when there is an increase in the contents of that compartment. When the increase in pressure results in clinically meaningful physiological changes, the term compartment syndrome is used. © 2008 Springer New York.