Pediatric stress fractures

What are pediatric stress fractures?

A stress fracture is a tiny crack in a bone. A stress fracture can happen in any bone, but usually occur in bones in the feet, legs, arms or spine. It is a common injury in active children.

A stress fracture can start out small, but become a larger problem if continued pressure is put on the bone.

What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric stress fractures?

A stress fracture may have little to no symptoms when it first begins.

Some symptoms of a stress fracture may include:

• A bone that is painful to touch or press
• Pain in the bone during activity
• Pain in the bone after activity
• Pain that gets worse over time
• Swelling

What are the causes of pediatric stress fractures?

Some stress fractures occur because of repetitive pressure that is put on a bone during sports and activities, such as running or jumping. Other times, a stress fracture happens because a person has fragile bones or nutritional deficiencies that make the bones weaker.