Evaluation of stress-related anterior lower leg pain with magnetic resonance imaging and intracompartmental pressure measurement.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate stress-related anterior lower leg pain with clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, and measurement of anterior tibial compartment pressure findings. All medical data were gathered from 24 conscripts with stress-related anterior lower leg pain. Twenty exhibited bilateral symptoms. In 22 of the 44 cases, the intracompartmental pressure was pathological. Symptoms were exhibited for longer periods by patients with chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) than by other patients (p < 0.01). At rest, magnetic resonance imaging revealed no abnormal findings in the soft tissues of the legs but showed bone abnormalities in 35 symptomatic legs. Thirty-three exhibited bone stress injuries, and two exhibited leg traction periostitis. On magnetic resonance imaging, there was no difference in bone findings between patients with and without CECS (p > 0.05). Stress-related anterior lower leg pain can be related to CECS, bone stress injury, and traction periostitis. Clinical diagnosis is unreliable. CECS and bone stress injury or traction periostitis can occur separately or together.