The Injury to the Great Pieter-Steph Du Toit

The following is what actually happened in the case of his injury as outlined by Dr Suter dealing with the Storme rs payers.:-

"Suter made a startling revelation that Du Toit's injury was potentially career-threatening.

"He had a medical emergency after the Blues game. He had a haematoma that developed into an acute compartment syndrome. It's incredibly rare - there have been only 43 (cases) listed in the literature (worldwide)," Suter said.

The team doctor added: "It's a medical emergency because if you don't pick it up early they lose blood supply to the leg and they lose the leg.

"Within 15 minutes of him coming off the field and assessing him, we realised that he was at risk of this particular rare condition. He was taken straight to Vincent Pallotti (Hospital) where he had a vascular surgeon waiting and he was operated on that night.

"It's very unusual, very rare but they had to cut through the muscle to release the pressure and they were only able to close that leg 10 days after his initial injury."

Suter said Du Toit was recuperating at home."

I believe that Frans Steyn had a similar injury in 2013 during a game against the Highlanders in NZ and here was mcuh discussion about the issue after the injury,   He was operated on in NZ - but not as quickly as the matter was dealt with in SA in the case of Du Toit.

He will be out of rugby for about three to 4 months - so of the July tests do take place he will not be in the Springbok team.  If the Rugby Championship takes place he will be back playing again.   All the best for a speedy recovery,        

That's nasty. All the best and speedy recovery to him indeed.

Wish him all the best. It doesn’t sound as if it’s so rare though:

Acute Compartment Syndrome

Acute compartment syndrome usually develops after a severe injury, such as a car accident or a broken bone. Rarely, it develops after a relatively minor injury.

Conditions that may bring on acute compartment syndrome include:

• A fracture.
• A badly bruised muscle. This type of injury can occur when a motorcycle falls on the leg of the rider, or a football player is hit in the leg with another player's helmet.
• Reestablished blood flow after blocked circulation. This may occur after a surgeon repairs a damaged blood vessel that has been blocked for several hours. A blood vessel can also be blocked during sleep. Lying for too long in a position that blocks a blood vessel, then moving or waking up can cause this condition. Most healthy people will naturally move when blood flow to a limb is blocked during sleep. The development of compartment syndrome in this manner usually occurs in people who are neurologically compromised. This can happen after severe intoxication with alcohol or other drugs.
• Crush injuries.
• Anabolic steroid use. Taking steroids is a possible factor in compartment syndrome.
• Constricting bandages. Casts and tight bandages may lead to compartment syndrome. If symptoms of compartment syndrome develop, remove or loosen any constricting bandages. If you have a cast, contact your doctor immediately.

Chronic (Exertional) Compartment Syndrome

The pain and swelling of chronic compartment syndrome is caused by exercise. Athletes who participate in activities with repetitive motions, such as running, biking, or swimming, are more likely to develop chronic compartment syndrome. This is usually relieved by discontinuing the exercise, and is usually not dangerous.

I think that the members  who go back years to find the thread in about April - May 2013.