Tibial stress fracture

Overview

A tibial stress fracture is a small crack in the shin bone from repetitive loading, common in runners increasing their mileage. It causes focal shin pain and needs relative rest and a careful return to loading.

Symptoms

• Focal, pinpoint shin pain
• Pain that worsens through a run
• Pain with hopping on the leg
• Tenderness at one spot on the bone

Causes

• Rapid increases in running load
• Low bone density or energy availability
• Training and biomechanical factors

Treatment

• Relative rest from impact
• Addressing training load and health factors
• Graded return to running
• Imaging to confirm and guide management