Missing the Bull’s Eye: A Case Report of Tibialis Anterior Hernia

Objectives: Shin pain is a broad term used to describe lower leg pain. It is commonly seen in the athletic/sports population. Various conditions have been claimed to produce leg pain, and muscle herniation is one of these conditions. Muscle herniation is the protrusion of muscle through a defect in the overlying fascia. Although such herniation is common, it is often an underdiagnosed condition in the lower extremity. It usually occurs in athletes, especially in the anterior compartment of the leg, as a result of trauma or due to muscle hypertrophy secondary to strenuous exercise. Herniation diagnosis depends on its clinical presentation as it appears as a palpable soft tissue bulge through a fascia defect; radiological findings are used to confirm the diagnosis. Conservative treatment should be the initial approach, and surgery can be performed if conservative treatment fails. Methods: We present a case of symptomatic anterior lower leg pain, initially diagnosed as a psychosomatic disorder by two orthopedic physicians. However, tibialis anterior hernia in this patient was confirmed after physical examination by a physiotherapist and subsequent referral for ultrasonographic evaluation to a radiologist. The patient underwent an 8-week course of conservative treatment under the supervision of a physiotherapist. This treatment significantly improved the patient’s pain and function. Results: After eight weeks of conservative treatment using Minhaj protocol for Tibialis Anterior hernia, the patient has reported improvement in pain (reduction of score from eight to two on the NPRS scale) and function. The patient returned to his previous level of physical activity following eight weeks of rehabilitation. Discussion: Tibialis anterior hernia should be considered a differential diagnosis in chronic leg pain with palpable soft tissue protrusion. Conservative treatment can be chosen as the primary approach.

Increased Contact Time and Strength Deficits in Runners With Exercise-Related Lower Leg Pain

Context Exercise-related lower leg pain (ERLLP) is common in runners. Objective To compare biomechanical (kinematic, kinetic, and spatiotemporal) measures obtained from wearable sensors as well as lower extremity alignment, range of motion, and strength during running between runners with and those without ERLLP. Design Case-control study. Setting Field and laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Of 32 young adults who had been running regularly (>10 mi [16 km] per week) for ≥3 months, 16 had ERLLP for ≥2 weeks and 16 were healthy control participants. Main Outcome Measure(s) Both field and laboratory measures were collected at the initial visit. The laboratory measures consisted of alignment (arch height index, foot posture index, navicular drop, tibial torsion, Q-angle, and hip anteversion), range of motion (great toe, ankle, knee, and hip), and strength. Participants then completed a 1.67-mi (2.69-km) run along a predetermined route to calibrate the RunScribe devices. The RunScribe wearable sensors collected kinematic (pronation excursion and maximum pronation velocity), kinetic (impact g and braking g), and spatiotemporal (stride length, step length, contact time, stride pace, and flight ratio) measures. Participants then wore the sensors during at least 3 training runs in the next week. Results The ERLLP group had a slower stride pace than the healthy group, which was accounted for as a covariate in subsequent analyses. The ERLLP group had a longer contact time during the stance phase of running (mean difference [MD] = 18.00 ± 8.27 milliseconds) and decreased stride length (MD = −0.11 ± 0.05 m) than the control group. For the clinical measures, the ERLLP group demonstrated increased range of motion for great-toe flexion (MD = 13.9 ± 4.6°) and ankle eversion (MD = 6.3 ± 2.7°) and decreased strength for ankle inversion (MD = −0.49 ± 0.23 N/kg), ankle eversion (MD = −0.57 ± 0.27 N/kg), and hip flexion (MD = −0.99 ± 0.39 N/kg). Conclusions The ERLLP group exhibited a longer contact time and decreased stride length during running as well as strength deficits at the ankle and hip. Gait retraining and lower extremity strengthening may be warranted as clinical interventions in runners with ERLLP.

Pregnancy and Venous Thromboembolism: Risk Factors, Trends, Management, and Mortality

Background. Pregnancy is one of the major risk factors for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Objective. To elucidate the circumstances surrounding pregnancy-induced deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), assess potential factors triggering thrombosis (e.g., thrombophilia, obesity, age, parity, and family history), initial and long-term management, and assess recurrence rate and mortality for VTE in pregnant Saudi women. Methods. A retrospective chart review of 180 patients with objectively confirmed VTE (DVT, PE, or both) that occurred during pregnancy, or the postpartum period was conducted. All patients who experienced episodes of objectively confirmed VTE were included. Results. Overall, 180 patients were included. Further, 60% (n=109) and 40% (n=71) of the VTE cases occurred during the postpartum and antenatal periods, respectively. Cesarean section was the most prevalent risk factor among study participants (n=86 (47.8%)), followed by obesity (n=73 (40.6%)). The most common clinical presentations were lower leg pain (57.2%) and lower limb swelling (54.4%). VTE recurrences were observed in approximately 11% of the participants, and maternal mortality occurred in 2 (1.1%) cases. Conclusion. Pregnancy was the most common provoking factor for VTE in our study. Pregnant women should undergo formal, written assessments of risk factors for VTE at the first visit and delivery. Larger studies with a randomized design, and control groups are required to confirm the current findings.