Post-traumatic edema: pathomechanism, diagnosis and treatment.

Due to the unknown etiology, which prevents treatment of the causes, chronic post-traumatic edema of the lower limbs is a major clinical problem. The present article discusses the etiological factors that produce chronic post-traumatic edema, including traumatic and iatrogenic damage to lymph vessels and disturbances of venous outflow (including thrombosis of deep veins), as well as bacterial contamination of injured tissues, peripheral nerve involvement, and many other factors. Treatment methods for patients with chronic post-traumatic edema of the lower limbs are presented.