Do i have a hairline fracture or shin splints? what's the difference?

Let me help: Shin splints cause pain in the front of the outer leg below the knee.The pain of shin splints is characteristically located on the outer edge of the mid region of the leg next to the shinbone . Pain is often noted at the early portion of the workout, then lessens, only to reappear near the end of the training session. Fracture cause pain were the break is .Thank you.

Bone vs soft tissue: Shin splints are not a specific diagnosis but rather a general term for running related leg pain, which could be medial tibial stress syndrome (aka "shin splints") or stress fracture or other. Both mtss & stress fx are overuse injuries caused by tissue breakdown exceeding repair. Treatment involves relative rest/active recovery, avoiding offending activity. See a sports specialist for diagnosis.