Stress fracture: when the bone says stop! - In the news

2023-11-17 12:17:02

November 17, 2023

Unlike “classic” fractures, so-called “fatigue” fractures do not appear following an impact. The fatigue in question concerns a bone that is very (too) stressed and manifests itself as an injury reminiscent of a partial or complete fracture.

Also called stress or strain fractures, fatigue fractures are quite common. It represents 10% to 20% of pathologies in sports medicine. But as Justine Martory explains in her medical thesis devoted to this subject, “ it does not only affect marathon runners or high-level athletes “. It is in fact likely to concern “ any person, from the Sunday jogger who has increased his sporting intensity, to the storekeeper of a company suddenly forced to do the work of two people, to the cleaning lady who is constantly on the move “. It has also been described among soldiers after long marches. It can thus affect up to 30% of the workforce, during the first weeks of training.

Hyper-stressed bones

There is no consensus definition of stress fracture. but it is fair to say that it is a disease of adaptation of the bone to exercise. This is an injury, partial or complete fracture, of a healthy bone due to excessive stress. “. The bone is somehow not capable of supporting new mechanical stresses and/or a greater workload.

In concrete terms, these constraints will “ cause bone deformation », Continues Justine Martory. When these stop, “ the bone can return to its initial shape. But beyond a certain limit, greater stress causes plastic deformation with a permanent modification of the shape of the bone due to micro-fractures within the bone. If the stress intensifies, the number and length of these micro-fractures increase, until giving a more or less complete fracture ».

Prolonged incapacity…

Whether it affects the shin, the wrist or the knee, the pain then tends to increase gradually, until it potentially becomes significant. Hence the importance of early diagnosis to limit bone lesions. “ A stress fracture diagnosed late can be a source of prolonged disability and repeated work stoppages for weeks or even months. », concludes the doctor.

Source : Justine Martory. Stress fractures: knowledge, diagnostic habits and difficulties of Upper Normandy general practitioners. Human medicine and pathology.2018.
Written by : David Picot – Edited by: Emmanuel Ducreuzet