Stress_Fractures

Stress Fractures Diagnosing Stress Fractures Stress fractures are one of the most common sports related injuries that are usually managed by family practitioners. It is a result of repetitive use of a muscle group that exceeds the natural ability of the bone to repair itself. The lower extremities are frequently affected by sports involving running and jumping. Activities such as baseball and tennis involve repetitive usage of the arms and can cause stress fractures of the upper extremities. Lower extremity stress fractures present as localized, dull pain with no evidence of trauma that worsens during exercise or weight bearing. The tibia is the most common site of injury and accounts for 50% of stress fractures. Localized edema and thickening of the periosteum can occur and is prevalent to the middle and distal third of the tibia. Point tenderness to palpation to the injury site is hallmark for stress fractures. Metatarsal fractures make up 25% of stress fractures and are usually located to the distal second and third metatarsal. These fractures, stress, diagnosis, common, radiographs, injury, bone, young, tibia, third, sports, site, scans, repetitive, plain, metatarsal, make, localized, injuries, fracture, extremities, evidence, during, distal, diagnosing, appear, among, affected, 50%, worsens, workout, weight, weeks, very, usage