ORIGINAL ARTICLE  SPORT INJURIES AND REHABILITATION 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2023 January;63(1):111-20

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.22.13655-8

Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The prevalence and effect of the sites of pain in female soccer players with medial shin pain

Takumi OKUNUKI ^{1, 2}, Hirohisa MAGOSHI ³, Toshihiro MAEMICHI ¹, Zijian LIU ¹, Hirofumi TANAKA ^{1, 4}, Masatomo MATSUMOTO ^{1, 5}, Takuma HOSHIBA ⁶, Tsukasa KUMAI ⁷ ✉

¹ Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan; ² Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; ³ Department of Rehabilitation, Hachioji Sports Orthopedic Clinic, Tokyo, Japan; ⁴ Hyakutake Orthopedic and Sports Clinic, Saga, Japan; ⁵ Kuwana City Medical Center, Mie, Japan; ⁶ Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan; ⁷ Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan

BACKGROUND: Female soccer players are often diagnosed with medial shin pain, which includes tibial stress fracture, medial tibial stress syndrome, and chronic exertional compartment syndrome. As the possibility of varied sites of pain affecting sports activities has not been fully researched, an urgent discussion and evidence is required. This study investigates the prevalence and effect of sites of pain on the sports activities of female soccer players with medial shin pain.
METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted for 196 female soccer players with medial shin pain to assess symptom duration, the effect of practice and performance, and sites of pain. The players were classified into three conditions (tibial stress fracture, medial tibial stress syndrome, or medial shin pain with neurological symptoms) and compared based on sites of pain.
RESULTS: We observed that medial tibial stress syndrome had a lower impact on performance compared to that of tibial stress fracture and medial shin pain with neurological symptoms. While participants with tibial stress fracture had to suspend practice sessions more frequently, the difference in symptom duration between the classified groups was not statistically significant. The effect of sites of pain on sports activities was not significantly different in participants with medial tibial stress syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS: Medial shin pain should be evaluated carefully to differentiate between medial tibial stress syndrome and medial shin pain with neurological symptoms. Restriction of sports activities may help improve the patient’s condition early, regardless of the presentation.

KEY WORDS: Epidemiology; Return to sports; Surveys and questionnaires; Medial tibial stress syndrome