Related Experiment Videos
Risk factors for stress fractures
K Bennell1, G Matheson, W Meeuwisse
1School of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
|September 24, 1999
Summary
Understanding stress fracture risk factors is key to prevention. Key factors include bone density, muscle weakness, and menstrual disturbances, though training
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Stress fractures are multifactorial injuries.
- Research often focuses on individual risk factors, overlooking integrated analysis.
- Existing literature has methodological limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- Critically appraise existing literature on stress fracture risk factors.
- Evaluate study designs and quality.
- Provide a current synopsis of scientific information on stress fracture risk.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and critical appraisal.
- Analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors.
- Synthesis of accumulated scientific information over 20 years.
Main Results:
- Identified key risk factors: menstrual disturbances, caloric restriction, low bone density, muscle weakness, leg length differences.
- Training factors (volume, intensity, surface) contribution not clearly established.
- Lower extremity alignment, though anecdotally significant, lacks strong causative evidence.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of stress fracture etiology requires integrating multiple risk factors.
- While several factors are confirmed, further high-quality research is needed, particularly on training parameters.
- Evidence supports the role of specific physiological and biomechanical factors in stress fracture development.