An author reviews the literature concerning exertional compartment syndrome that may occur in sports and exercise in an acute and a chronic form. The chronic (exertional) form is more common than the acute syndrome and most of the cases located in the anterior and lateral compartments of the lower leg. This review article describes the clinical features of the syndrome and discuss some of the uncertainties regarding anatomy, patophysiology, diagnostics and management. An author states that the only logical treatment of the compartment syndrome is surgical fasciotomy, a minor, but succesfull surgery with low complications rate.