Atraumatic Isolated Stress Fracture of the Distal Tibial Metaphysis in a Pre-menopausal Patient: A Case Report

Stress fractures are partial or complete bone fractures usually occurring in the weight-bearing bones resulting from repeated cycles of submaximal stress and bone remodeling. When the tibia is involved, it usually affects the proximal or middle third part of the bone. This pathology is most often seen in athletes or related to traumatic activities. This case describes a healthy, pre-menopausal, non-athlete woman presenting with a distal tibial atraumatic stress fracture. Diagnosis is usually confirmed by a CT scan or MRI since radiographs could often show no abnormalities. Treatment of such fractures is conservative in the majority of cases and when present, predisposing or causative factors should also be investigated and assessed.