Medial tibial stress syndrome

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common overuse injury in runners or sports people who do a lot of running. It used to be more commonly refered to as 'shin splints', but MTSS more appropriately describes what the proble is.

The pain is felt along the inside or medial side of the tibia or shin bone. Its not totally clear exactly what is is - some think its a fasciitis; some think its a strain where the muscle inserts into the bone; and other think it is a stress reaction of the bone.

A number of things are known or suggested to increase the risk for MTSS - these include an increased bending moment of the tibia; poor training technique (eg doing too much too sonn); a flat or pronated foot; or worn or inadequate running shoes.

The treatment of MTSS usually starts with some sort of reduction in running and the replacement of that training with something like cycling or swimming. The training errors that caused it need to be addressed; as well as the running shoes. Training errors that might have lead to the problem also need to be addressed. Finally, foot orthotics are usually needed to help correct the abnormal function of the foot.

See Podiatry Arena, for the latest on medial tibial stress syndrome. See also: medial tibial stress syndrome.