STRESS FRACTURES-MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY

1. Initial treatment includes pain management, activity modification, strengthening, fitness maintenance, and risk factor modification.

2. Once healing is underway and pain is minimal, the gradual resumption of the impact-loading phase of rehabilitation begins.

3. Use crutches to minimize weight-bearing for the first 7-10 days.

4. Activity modification includes eliminating impact activities for a period until daily ambulation is pain free.

5. Radiologic healing lags behind clinical healing. Most heal in 4-8 weeks.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].