Introduction. Although it can be difficult to differentiate pain in lower
legs, it is important for clinicians to differentiate medial tibial stress
syndrome, which is a rather benign condition, from acute compartment
syndrome, which is an emergency, as well as from different types of stress
fractures described in this region. The aim of this case report was to
present medial tibial stress syndrome as a clinical diagnosis, possible
dilemmas in differential diagnosis and the efficacy of rehabilitation
treatment. Case report. A 25-year old male patient sought medical help
complaining of the pain along the distal third of tibia. The pain was present
on palpation of the distal two-thirds of the lateral and medial tibial border
over the length of 9 cm and on muscle manual testing of foot flexors. The
patient underwent physical and exercise treatment for three weeks. The
recovery was monitored by visual analogue scale, which measured the lower leg
pain, pain on palpation and manual muscle testing. In addition, the patient
himself assessed his ability to resume sport activities on the 5-point Likert
scale. The final evaluation and measurements showed his complete functional
recovery. Conclusion. The results obtained in this case show the importance
of accurate clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation for medial tibial stress
syndrome.
Medial tibial stress syndrome – a case report