04/10/2023
Because we care about runners ! Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is a common injury in runners and young athletes.
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS - AKA ‘Shin Splints’) usually presents with diffuse shin pain that’s aggravated by exercise and tends to ease with rest. Unlike tendinopathy it doesn’t typically ‘warm up’ and feel better with continued running. In irritable cases it can become painful to walk, especially longer distances.
Tibial stress fractures tend to present with more focal pain (e.g. a region less than 5cm). An anterior tibial stress fracture is consider *high risk* so if a patient presents with focal anterior shin pain, with tenderness on palpation of the anterior tibia then urgent investigation should be considered. This is especially important in individuals with risk factors for bone stress injury such as previous stress fracture, low BMI and impaired sleep and recovery.
See my recent timeline for posts on why exercise should be pain free with MTSS and ways to reduce tibial load during running.
