Bone stress injuries of the leg in athletes

Bone stress injuries, whose incidence is increasing among competitive and recreational athletes, represent a pathophysiological continuum along which a bone responds to a changing mechanical environment. Frank stress fracture is the endpoint of this process, resulting from the accumulation of microinjuries due to repeated abnormal stresses. The legs are largely the most frequently affected bone district. The aim of this paper is to review the imaging findings of the whole spectrum of stress-induced bone lesions of the leg in athletes. We emphasise the role of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which allow recognition of early alterations.