Stress Fracture of Tibia Fig. The radiograph is normal. The radionuclide scan shows a hot spot in the upper third of the tibia. A CT was done later which shows a fracture with periosteal and endosteal reaction.
Stress fractures result due to abnormal stress in normal bone.
This lady had however no obvious history of increased activity, though there had been some change in her routine at home. Typically stress fractures may not show up on radiographs for upto 3 weeks. MR usually shows the stress fracture as a linear hypointense area running through the medulla and cortex. CT is also diagnostic, especially when high-resolution thin sections are obtained.