Isolated Tibialis Posterior Muscle Strain: A rare sporting injury

Abstract

We present the case of an isolated tibialis posterior muscle strain in an Australian Rules Football (AFL) player, an injury not previously described in the medical literature. The elite footballer presented with calf tightness following a game of AFL. The clinical history, examination findings and treatment regime followed a course similar to more typical “calf strains” involving the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, however Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed a low grade isolated muscle strain of tibialis posterior. The only inciting factor was the use of new football boots. This novel case will alert radiologists and sports physicians to a new potential source of calf pain in athletes.