Stress fracture in athletes

Stress fractures are widely encountered in sport medicine and rheumatology. Stress fractures result from abnormal and repetitive loading on normal bone that lead to microdamage and then fracture. They occur after sudden increase in physical activity. They appear mostly at lower limbs. Women are at higher risk than men. Patients complain of mechanical pain. Clinical findings include focused pain and sometimes swelling. No biological test is useful for diagnosis. Plain radiographs are normal in early stage disease. MRI is the gold standard to confirm stress fracture. Treatments of stress fracture always involve rest and analgesics. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory should be use cautiously because they may inhibit callus formation. Extracorporeal shockwave may be a new approach for SF not healing with rest. Surgical treatment is often needed in high risk stress fracture of delayed healing, non-union or complete fracture.