What is a 'stress fracture'?

What is a 'stress fracture'?

Gary Brazina (Sports Medicine Physician) gives expert video advice on: What is an 'acute' injury?; What is an 'overuse' injury?; What is a 'fracture'? and more...

A stress fracture is a fracture of the bone that comes from overuse. We see it commonly in recruits in the army and in runners, particularly women, as part of the terrible triad of the female athlete. A stress fracture is a break in the bone caused by overuse. The best example or analogy of this is: if you take a paper clip and you bend it and you bend it and you bend it and you bend it, eventually it'll break. A stress fracture is a wearing of the bone.