Extremely painful dent in my shin

About 5 years ago, I hit my shin very hard on some slippery stairs.  It was very hard to walk or put weight on it for about a month and if anything touched my shin (including cloths), it would be extremely painful.  After the pain was gone. I had a decent size, visible dent in my shin.  It hasn't bothered me in a few year, until I hit it again the other day.  Now, it is bruised, very painful (it takes my breath away), but I can walk on it.  There does seem to be a bit of swelling.  It is possible that I fractured or damaged the shin bone?  I thought that it was suppose to be one of the strongest bones in the body.  Is there any point to going to the doctor now?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the possible cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include stress fractures, muscle inflammation, periostitis, vitamin/ micro-nutrient deficiencies, neuro-muscular/ vascular issues etc. I would suggest getting this evaluated by an orthopedician for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Hope this helps.

Take care!