Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome Prevention

Rowan University26 enrolled

Overview

This randomized controlled trial investigated whether a 10-week heavy resistance training program reduced the incidence of medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) in collegiate indoor track and field athletes. Twenty-six athletes from Rowan University were randomly assigned to a treatment group (resistance training plus regular training) or a control group (regular training only). Muscle mechanical properties-including tone, stiffness, elasticity, stress relaxation time, and creep-were measured by MyotonPro device (non-invasive) at baseline, post-intervention, and at the end of the season. A 10-week observational follow-up during the indoor season included weekly MTSS symptom surveys. Differences in MTSS incidence and muscle properties were analyzed between groups.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

Interventions

Participants performed a 10-week resistance training program, completing exercises twice daily for Weeks 1-2 and three times daily for Weeks 3-10, with 5 sessions per week for Weeks 1-7 and 6 sessions per week for Weeks 8-10. The program included exercises such as standing broad jumps, resisted ankle abduction, single-leg eccentric plantar flexion, and ankle rockers. Participants' muscle properties were assessed at the start and end of the intervention, with adherence monitored via remote video confirmation.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Collegiate athletes on the Indoor Track and Field team. * Athletes must participate in at least one of the following: * 60m-800m events (including hurdles) * jumping events (including pole vault) Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects who have a history of musculoskeletal or neurologic conditions * Who take medications that affect muscle tone * Who have a body mass index \>30.0 kg/m2 were excluded to screen to prevent adipose tissue from skewing the measurements. * Any subject with any fractures, sprains, or strains of the lower extremities were excluded. * Any subject with active MTSS, stress fracture, or other lower leg pathology symptoms at the time the initial survey was administered were excluded. * Any athlete who does not participate in the 60m-800m events (including hurdles), or who does not participate in jumping events (including pole vault) were excluded.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Subjective Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome Symptoms

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) Score Survey

Time frame: Through the running season -- approximately 11 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Myotonometry Oscillation frequency

Represents the intrinsic tension of the muscle in its passive state, essentially the muscle's "tone".