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Stress Fracture Injuries in Sport

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Fractures in Sport

Abstract

Stress fractures are fatigue fractures of bone, and result from an overuse mechanism. These injuries present most commonly in the legs and feet of long distance runners and military personnel, but can also occur in the upper extremity and the spine depending on the causative activity. Nutritional, hormonal, and biomechanical factors all contribute to the development of bony stress injuries, and no two stress fractures behave exactly alike. A detailed history, thorough physical examination, and proper imaging are required to diagnose and classify these injuries. The management of stress fractures requires nutritional and emotional support, rest from the causative activity, and at times surgical fixation. Recently developed biological treatment options may help to stabilize these injuries and stimulate more rapid healing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute, Ohio State University Athletics, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Endurance Medicine Team, Columbus, OH, USA

    Timothy L. Miller

  2. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics, Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute, Department of Athletics at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Christopher C. Kaeding

Authors
  1. Timothy L. Miller
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  2. Christopher C. Kaeding
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Timothy L. Miller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Edinburgh Orthopaedic Trauma Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Greg A. J. Robertson

  2. Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK

    Nicola Maffulli

Review

Review

1.1 Questions

  1. 1.

    Which of the following levels of stress fracture progression is a normal part of homeostasis in healthy bone?

    1. (a)

      Crack initiation

    2. (b)

      Crack propagation

    3. (c)

      Complete or final fracture

    4. (d)

      Cumulative microtrauma

    5. (e)

      Insufficiency fracture

  2. 2.

    Which of the following sites is considered to be low risk for stress fracture progression?

    1. (a)

      Anterior tibial cortex

    2. (b)

      Dorsal navicular

    3. (c)

      Mid femoral diaphysis

    4. (d)

      Olecranon

    5. (e)

      Tension side femoral neck

  3. 3.

    Which of the following imaging modalities has the greatest specificity for identifying and grading stress fractures?

    1. (a)

      Bone Scintigraphy

    2. (b)

      CT scan

    3. (c)

      MRI

    4. (d)

      Plain radiographs

    5. (e)

      Ultrasound

1.2 Answers

  1. 1.

    a.

  2. 2.

    c.

  3. 3.

    c.

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Miller, T.L., Kaeding, C.C. (2021). Stress Fracture Injuries in Sport. In: Robertson, G.A.J., Maffulli, N. (eds) Fractures in Sport. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72036-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72036-0_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-72035-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-72036-0

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