Doctors do not recommend walking when you have a Stress Fracture of the Tibia because it may reopen the partially healed fracture, and you may have to begin the recovery process again.
Stress fractures of the tibia (lower leg bone) can occur when it is repeatedly subjected to excessive strain from repetitive, high-impact exercise over an extended period.
Symptoms typically develop over a period of weeks or months and may include pain when walking, resting or after activity. It may also feel tender to touch the affected area.
Stress Fractures in the Tibia
Causes
Stress fractures occur when bones are repeatedly subjected to excessive loads, leading to weakening and fracture. This can be due to exercise, ageing, medical conditions such as osteoporosis or poor nutrition, or simply from poor habits.
These injuries are common among athletes who frequently engage in prolonged walking, running or jumping activities. They also affect ballet dancers, soccer and basketball players as well as military recruits.
Tibia stress fractures are caused by repeated stresses placed on the tibia and surrounding muscles that weaken it. These stresses disrupt osteocytes in the bone, leading to fatigue and micro-damage that leads to cell apoptosis and loss of structural integrity.
A tibia stress fracture is typically accompanied by intense, localised shin pain at the site of fracture, which gets worse with activity. It’s tender to touch and can be uncomfortable while walking, resting or even sleeping.
Symptoms
Stress fractures occur when a bone is repeatedly overstressed, usually through repetitive and intense exercise. This type of injury is especially prevalent among athletes who engage in sports that require prolonged walking, running or jumping for extended periods of time.
Stress fracture pain typically begins as localised tenderness at the site of fracture, but will worsen over time due to continued stress.
Walking, jumping and shifting weight on the affected leg/foot can be excruciatingly painful. The discomfort is compounded when placed on an unstable surface such as tile floors or concrete.
Stress fractures require rest from the activities that caused them, followed by physical therapy exercises to strengthen muscles and tendons around the tibia. Depending on whether surgery is not required, recovery can take four to six weeks or even longer if no surgery is required.
Diagnosis
Stress fracture, also referred to as a hairline fracture, is an injury that develops from repetitive high-impact exercise over an extended period of time.
Diagnosing a stress fracture usually requires physical examination and imaging tests such as X-rays or MRI scans. Stress fractures are relatively common, accounting for 0.7% to 20% of all sports medicine clinic injuries.
Since MRIs can detect tiny breaks in bones that X-rays cannot, they are considered the most reliable diagnostic test for stress fractures.
Stress fractures often present as an unnoticeable but growing pain that worsens over time. It may be localized to one spot and worsen with continued activity, especially running or jumping. At some point it may become so intense you need to rest or even go to bed feeling the effects even then.
Treatment
Stress fractures typically heal with rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE). Your doctor may also suggest taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain.
In some cases, surgery may be necessary to heal a stress fracture that has not responded to conservative treatments. This procedure could involve internal fixation – the placement of metal pins, screws and plates inside the bone to provide stability while it heals.
If you have a stress fracture, your doctor will advise that you refrain from high impact activities until cleared by them. Typically, it takes 4 to 8 weeks before weight bearing can resume on the injured leg.
If you are an athlete, your doctor may suggest a gradual return to activity. They can teach you how to modify the intensity, frequency and duration of exercises so as not to put undue strain on your tibia. This approach will enable full recovery while still building aerobic capacity in your legs.
Can You Walk on a Tibial Stress Fracture?
When you have a stress fracture of the tibia, doctors do not advise walking because it could reopen the fracture that has partly healed, forcing you to start the healing process all over again.
Stress fractures are tiny cracks that develop in the weight-bearing bones, often caused by repetitive force to the bone such as during long marches, repeatedly jumping up and down, or running long distances.
Although you can walk with a stress fracture, doctors would recommend staying away from hard surfaces and not walking long distances.
It is advised to stop running and give the affected region six to eight weeks of rest in the majority of stress fracture cases. During this time, you can do lower impact exercise like walking, swimming, deep water running, and weight training.
However, if your stress fracture is in an area that doesn’t heal as easily such as navicular, anterior tibial and femoral neck stress fractures then your doctor may advise that you don’t walk on it regardless of pain levels.
For these types of fractures, your doctor may get you to use crutches or wear a boot for extra protection and to ensure that the bone has the best chance of healing.
It is important to get a proper diagnosis from a doctor or physiotherapist before attempting any exercise with a suspected stress fracture. If you don’t rest your shins enough after developing a stress fracture then the area may never heal properly.
The most important treatment for any stress fracture is rest. In most cases of stress fracture, it takes 6 to 8 weeks for a stress fracture to heal when surgery is not required.
Is a Tibial Stress Fracture Serious?
A tibial stress fracture is a microscopic fracture of the lower leg’s tibia bone brought on by excessive strain or repeated stress.
It can happen anywhere in the tibia, but the middle to bottom third of the bone is where it usually happens.
Symptoms include pain and tenderness in just one specific area of the leg, worsening pain that develops over a period of weeks to months, and pain that increases with impact activity such as running or jumping.
An aching or burning (localized) pain somewhere along the bone is usually experienced by those who have a tibial stress fracture.
Swelling may be present at the fracture site. As more weight is put on it, the pain will worsen and ultimately become so bad that it will make walking difficult or impossible.
Tibial stress fractures are serious injuries that require prompt medical attention. If left untreated, they can lead to further injury and complications such as arthritis or surgery. Treatment options depend on the type of stress fracture (exact location on the bone) and your activity level.
It might be advised to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce discomfort and swelling. To reduce stress on your leg, protective footwear or braces may be recommended.
In some cases, crutches may be necessary to keep weight off of your leg while it heals. Recovery time varies depending on the severity of the injury but can take several weeks to several months.
