Abstract

DEL RIO MARTINEZ, P.S.; MORENO GARCIA, M.S.; CASORRAN BERGES, M.P.  and  BALTANAS RUBIO, P.. Stress fracture in metatarsals: concerning two cases. Rev Osteoporos Metab Miner [online]. 2015, vol.7, n.2, pp.67-70. ISSN 2173-2345.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1889-836X2015000200005.

Stress fractures occur when a bone with normal elastic strength is subjected to higher loads than its mechanical strength. Although they may occur in any location they are more frequent in the metatarsals, these being the areas subject to greatest load. The clinical presentation for stress fractures is highly non-specific, which means that a detailed history is key to a suspected diagnosis. X-rays may be normal in the first stages, with gammagraphy and magnetic resonance being the gold standards for diagnosis in the initial stages. It is recommended that a study of possible underlying causes which may have contributed to the fracture is carried out. Generally the treatment is conservative, although in some cases, such as those occurring in the 5th metatarsal, surgical treatment may be necessary.

Keywords : fracture; stress; metatarsals.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English | Spanish     · English ( pdf ) | Spanish ( pdf )