Working Diagnosis:
Left Tibia Stress Fracture
Treatment:
The patient was advised to decrease intensity at practice and to use ibuprofen as needed. She was also given a Velcro walking boot to wear that allowed support while weight bearing.
Outcome:
On three weeks follow up patient was doing well with very minimal pain upon jumping and running
Author's Comments:
This case emphasizes the message that in cases where there is suspicion of stress fracture, diagnostic ultrasound can provide a good alternative to more costly, poorly accessible, and invasive techniques such as MRI or bone scan scintigraphy.
Editor's Comments:
This is a great case of the benefits of sports ultrasound for immediate diagnosis in patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints. As the author stated a high index of suspicion is often needed in these cases. In any athlete with a stress fracture, menstrual cycle regularity (for females) and screening for eating disorders should be assessed.
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