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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1.1 Questions
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1.
Which of the following levels of stress fracture progression is a normal part of homeostasis in healthy bone?
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(a)
Crack initiation
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(b)
Crack propagation
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(c)
Complete or final fracture
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(d)
Cumulative microtrauma
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(e)
Insufficiency fracture
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(a)
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2.
Which of the following sites is considered to be low risk for stress fracture progression?
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(a)
Anterior tibial cortex
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(b)
Dorsal navicular
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(c)
Mid femoral diaphysis
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(d)
Olecranon
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(e)
Tension side femoral neck
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(a)
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3.
Which of the following imaging modalities has the greatest specificity for identifying and grading stress fractures?
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(a)
Bone Scintigraphy
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(b)
CT scan
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(c)
MRI
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(d)
Plain radiographs
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(e)
Ultrasound
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(a)
1.2 Answers
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1.
a.
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2.
c.
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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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