What is tibial incompetence syndrome?

Tibial Incompetence Test

Again, if you haven’t read the section above on shin splints, please do so now. Over a long period of time, indeed several decades, if you have very rolled in feet, your tibial muscles on the inside of your shin will be put to a lot of extra work.  If you ignore the pain and struggle through, eventually they will be worn out. Tibial incompetence is the term given to the outcome of this.  You can test yourself this way.  Hold on to something so you don’t fall over but don’t use it to help with the next step.  Stand on one foot first.

Then come up on to your tip toes on that side.  Watch yourself carefully – if you have tibial incompetence, your brain will know you do even if you don’t and it will make you cheat! If you instinctively put your lifted foot back down to help, that voids the test.  Keep the lifted foot up from before you try to lift the other heel from the ground.  If you think about it, the inability to lift your heel off the ground has big implications for walking because this is a necessary phase of the gait cycle.  Seek treatment from a podiatrist as soon as possible. In most cases, tibial incompetence can be managed quite successfully.

To view this information on tibial incompetence syndrome in a downloadable, printable form, please see our Shin Splints Info Sheet.  Alternately, use this link to return to the Podiatry FAQs Blog.