title: Chronic lower leg pain in athletes: a guide for the differential diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic lower leg pain in athletes can be a frustrating problem for patients and a difficult diagnosis for clinicians. Myriad approaches have been suggested to evaluate these conditions. With the continued evolution of diagnostic studies, evidence-based guidance for a standard approach is unfortunately sparse.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed was searched from January 1980 to May 2011 to identify publications regarding chronic lower leg pain in athletes (excluding conditions related to the foot), including differential diagnosis, clinical presentation, physical examination, history, diagnostic workup, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leg pain in athletes can be caused by many conditions, with the most frequent being medial tibial stress syndrome; chronic exertional compartment syndrome, stress fracture, nerve entrapment, and popliteal artery entrapment syndrome are also considerations. Conservative management is the mainstay of care for the majority of causes of chronic lower leg pain; however, surgical intervention may be necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic lower extremity pain in athletes includes a wide differential and can pose diagnostic dilemmas for clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Rachel Biber
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Andrew J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gregory