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Stress Fracture
(Fracture, Stress)
Definition
A stress fracture is a tiny crack in the bone. They are most common in the lower leg and foot.
Stress Fractures of the Tibia and Fibula |
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Causes
This fracture is caused by repeated stress or overuse from:
- Increasing the amount or intensity of an activity too quickly
- Changing to a new playing surface
- Not wearing the right shoes or wearing old shoes for a sport
Risk Factors
Stress fractures are more common in women. Things that may raise the risk of this fracture are:
- A sudden increase in activity
- Not getting enough rest between physical activities
- Playing sports that involve running and jumping, such as track and field, tennis, gymnastics, and basketball
- Having female athlete triad
- Bone disorders, such as osteoporosis and Paget disease
- Low levels of vitamin D and calcium
- Smoking
- Alcohol use disorder
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. You will be asked about the activities that you do. A physical exam will be done.
Images may be taken of the bone. This can be done with:
Treatment
It can take 6 to 8 weeks for a stress fracture to heal. The goals of treatment are to manage pain and support the bone as it heals. Options may be:
- Medicine to ease pain and swelling
- Shoe inserts or braces to help a foot or leg stress fracture heal
- Crutches or a cane to keep weight off of a foot or leg stress fracture
- Exercises to help with muscle strength and range of motion will be needed.
Prevention
To lower the chance of a stress fracture:
- Increase the amount and intensity of activities slowly over time.
- Make any changes to playing surfaces slowly over time.
- Wear the right shoes for sports.
- Eat a diet that contains foods with vitamin D and calcium.
RESOURCES
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
http://www.sportsmed.org
http://www.sportsmed.org
Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
http://www.orthoinfo.org
http://www.orthoinfo.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canadian Orthopaedic Association
http://www.coa-aco.org
http://www.coa-aco.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
http://www.canorth.org
http://www.canorth.org
References
Femoral stress fracture. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/femoral-stress-fracture. Updated May 3, 2018. Accessed September 30, 2019.
Stress fractures. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00112. Updated October 2007. Accessed September 1, 2017.
Stress fractures of the foot and ankle. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/stress-fractures-of-the-foot-and-ankle. Updated March 20, 2017. Accessed September 30, 2019.
Tibial plateau fracture. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/tibial-plateau-fracture. Updated December 22, 2015. Accessed September 30, 2019.
Welck MJ, Hayes T, et al. Stress fractures of the foot and ankle. Injury 2017 Aug;48(8):1722.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Warren A. Bodine, DO, CAQSM
- Review Date: 09/2019
- Update Date: 09/08/2020