Acetabular Stress Fracture in a Healthy Male Amateur Endurance Runner. A Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Stress fractures are overuse injuries resulting from repetitive submaximal loading of a bone. Acetabular stress fractures while highly uncommon can occur in those undergoing intense endurance training as is the case with military recruits. Diagnosis of this injury can be dubious at times, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) being the most sensitive diagnostic tool considering the lower sensitivity of plain film radiography. CASE REPORT: The authors report a case of acetabular stress fracture occurring in a healthy male amateur endurance runner presenting with activity related hip pain that presented acutely without any prodromal pain. Plain film radiography and MRI revealed a transverse fracture of the acetabulum. CONCLUSION: Stress fractures of the acetabulum are among the rarest locations in which stress fractures can occur. They typically occur in individuals undergoing intense endurance training and require a high degree of suspicion to diagnose. The patient presented within represents a unique presentation not previously described.