Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2017 , Vol 63 , Num 2

A repetitive spontaneous distal tibial insufficiency fracture: an unusual case report

Ebru Aytekin 1 ,Emrah Kovalak 2
1 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
2 Department of Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
DOI : 10.5606/tftrd.2017.88555 Stress fractures typically occur, when cyclic loading to the healthy bone exceeds the normal carrying range capacity. These fractures are most commonly seen in athletes and military recruits who are engaged with intensive physical exercise in their daily lives. Stress fractures can also occur in a variety of conditions, in which the mineral content or the elasticity of bone is abnormal and defined as an insufficiency fracture. The tibia is the most frequent location for stress fractures, while bilateral tibial fractures are extremely rare. Herein, we report a repetitive spontaneous distal tibial insufficiency fracture in the right and left distal tibia and discuss predisposing factors, diagnosis, and treatment in the light of the current literature. Keywords : Insufficiency fracture; radiological evaluation; stress fracture; tibia