What Is the Difference Between Shin Splints and a Stress Fracture?

Stress fractures are common injuries in sports and military training. They are a type of overuse injury, also known as fatigue fractures. Unlike acute fractures caused by violence, stress fractures are the result of the accumulation of repeated subliminal injuries, which are characterized by simultaneous destruction and repair of bone. After the tibia is under stress injury, it can gradually adapt to the change of stress through the reconstruction of its internal structure. In most cases, it does not cause fracture. Therefore, clinically, a type of injury that only shows subperiosteal bone hyperplasia without obvious fracture lines is called stress periostitis. In addition to the stress response of the bone, stress periostitis may also be related to the stretching of the muscles and the periosteum, which is actually a type of stress fracture.

Basic Information

nickname: Fatigue fracture
Visiting department: orthopedics
Multiple groups: Athletes and soldiers

Common locations: Tibia
Common causes: Overuse injuries in sports and military training
Common symptoms: Local pain, tenderness

Causes of tibial stress fractures

The disease is caused by overuse injuries in sports and military training. Excessive stress first causes calf muscle fatigue, causing it to lose its effect of absorbing stress. After that, the stress directly acts on the tibia, causing tibial periostitis and fracture.

Clinical manifestations of tibial stress fractures

The patient had a history of overuse injuries such as long distance running, walking, marching. The initial symptoms are concealed, and there is only local pain when the lower extremity is bearing weight. Later, the pain gradually increases, and it cannot completely disappear at rest. May have progressively increased local swelling and tenderness. Except for individuals who cause complete fractures, limb movements are often unrestricted.

Tibial stress fracture examination

There were no positive findings in early X-ray films, but stress fractures could be shown on X-ray films of long-term trainers.

Diagnosis of tibial stress fracture

Diagnosis can be made based on medical history, clinical manifestations, and X-rays. Especially for patients with a history of overuse injuries, such as local swelling and tenderness of the calf, who have not improved or worsened after several days of delay, although at this time no positive X-ray findings are found, the disease should be highly vigilant and should not be considered as soft tissue Injury and delay in treatment.

Treatment of tibial stress fractures

Training should be stopped immediately and given splint or plaster fixation. The time to complete recovery depends on the extent of the fracture. Incomplete fractures take 6 to 8 weeks and complete fractures take more than 12 weeks.