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.