A longitudinal insufficiency fracture of the tibia in association with a healed chronic osteomyelitis
A Feydy1, R Carlier, C Mutschler
1Department of Radiology, H pital Raymond Poincaré, Garches, France.
Abstract:
Longitudinal stress fracture of the tibia often present with an atypical clinical presentation which can be mistaken for osseous tumor or osteomyelitis. We present a case of longitudinal stress fracture of the tibia which occurred in a patient with healed chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia. Magnetic resonance imaging failed to make the correct diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis was only obtained by helical CT which showed the longitudinal fracture line. Magnetic resonance imaging showed only non-specific signs of bone marrow edema, suggesting recurrence of osteomyelitis. Magnetic resonance imaging can be misleading in the absence of direct visualization of the fracture line.
Related Concept Videos
Bones of the Lower Limb: Tibia and Fibula
Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella
Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
