Definition
The term stress fracture is also called fatigue fracture and refers to a bone fracture caused by permanent overloading of the bone in the mechanical sense. Such stress fractures occur mainly in bones that have to bear a large proportion of our body weight, i.e. mainly in the legs and feet. Stress fractures are not caused by a traumatic event like other bone fractures, but occur over a longer period of time. Through a continuous overloading of certain bones and joints, e.g. through certain sports such as long-distance running, the bone is damaged more and more until finally a fracture occurs.
Causes of a stress fracture
In principle, a stress fracture is distinguished from an insufficiency fracture in the case of fatigue fractures. A stress fracture is caused by permanent overloading of an otherwise healthy bone and occurs most frequently in competitive and endurance athletes. The insufficiency fracture, on the other hand, occurs in pre-damaged bones when the bone structure has already been damaged by a bone disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, rickets or osteoporosis.
A stress fracture is caused by permanent overloading or too frequent, too long, or incorrect loading. Gradually, fine cracks in the bone substance, so-called microfractures, develop. These usually heal after some time, but not if the same stress continues permanently.
This is particularly common in certain sports, such as long-distance running. Stress fractures occur in particular due to training errors. In addition, there is the so-called cough fracture, where ribs or vertebral processes can break due to a chronic, severe cough.
Certain circumstances can be described as risk factors, so that with certain training methods a stress fracture can occur in otherwise healthy bone. For example, a sudden change in running speed, a too hard surface or an increase in weight can be responsible for a stress fracture. A small muscle mass, a small calf circumference, a diet or certain medications (such as cortisone) can promote the development of a stress fracture.
All articles in this series: