What does a femoral stress reaction feel like?

A femoral stress fracture often starts with a deep, dull gnawing or aching in the groin (inside of the leg) or front of the hip. Sometimes, the pain is felt in the thigh. It may even travel down into the knee. The pain is more noticeable when you walk or put weight on the leg.

How long does it take for a femoral neck stress reaction to heal?

Treatment of Stress Fracture Bone generally takes 6-8 weeks to heal and this is the period of time where crutches and non-weight bearing are required. This period can be followed by a period of progressive partial weight bearing (still with crutches) and hopefully crutches can be discarded at approx. 12 weeks.

How do you know if you have a femoral neck stress fracture?

The primary presenting symptom of a femoral neck stress fracture is usually anterior groin pain. The pain is often exacerbated by training, such as jogging or running, and is relieved by rest. On physical examination, the most obvious feature is localized bony tenderness.

What is a stress reaction in the hip?

A stress reaction, or fracture, occurs when there is a failure of the bone to remodel adequately with the addition of repetitive sub-threshold stress. This ability of bone to adapt to pressure, or lack of it, is known as Wolff’s Law and refers to the bones anisotrophic ability to manage load along multiple axes.

Can a stress reaction heal on its own?

Most stress fractures will heal on their own if you reduce your level of activity and wear protective footwear for a period of time.

Can you walk with a femoral neck stress fracture?

Regardless of the grading all patients with a FNSF should cease all impact activities (running and jumping sports) for a minimum of 6 weeks. If there is any pain with walking, standing or the development of night pain, crutches will be required for a minimum of 3 weeks.

How serious is a femoral neck stress fracture?

Stress fractures may be incomplete or complete, and either non-displaced or displaced. Femoral neck stress fractures are considered high-risk for complications, particularly displacement; whereas, femoral shaft stress fractures are low-risk.

Can you walk on a stress reaction?

As the stress reaction progresses, pain may be significant during loading and in the late stages, pain can be present even at rest or with low load tasks like walking or at night. On physical examination, Pain is usually localized and will be tender to palpate.

What is a metatarsal stress reaction?

The initial weakening of the bone is called a stress reaction, which can develop into a stress fracture if repetitive loading continues. Stress fractures are common in runners, dancers, military personnel and other running and jumping sports.

What is a Grade 3 stress reaction?

Grade 3 bone stress injuries included the presence of severe marrow edema or periosteal edema on both T2-weighted images and T-1 weighted images (in the same location), but without a fracture line.

How common are femoral neck stress fractures?

Femoral neck stress fractures (FNSFs) account for 3% of all sport-related stress fractures. The commonest causative sports are marathon and long-distance running. The main types of FNSF are compression-sided, tension-sided and displaced. The most common reported symptom is exercise-related groin pain.

What is the difference between a stress fracture and a stress reaction?

Stress injuries can be classified on a spectrum upon diagnosis: early (stress reaction) or late (stress fracture). A stress reaction that goes untreated will develop into a stress fracture. In a stress fracture, a small crack develops from repetitive trauma, which is usually caused by overuse.

What is a subcapital femoral neck fracture?

Subcapital fracture is the commonest type of intracapsular fracture of the proximal femur. The fracture line extends through the junction of the head and neck of femur.

What is a stress fracture of the femoral neck?

A femoral neck stress fracture is a fracture of the femoral neck secondary to repetitive loading that comes in 2 patterns: compression side (inferior-medial neck) or tension side (superior-lateral neck).

How can you tell if you have a stress fracture in your neck?

Diagnosis can often be made on radiographs alone but MRI studies should be obtained in patients with normal radiographs with a high degree of suspicion for stress fracture. Treatment of compression sided fractures < 50% femoral neck width may be nonoperative with restricted weight bearing.

Where is the fracture line in the femur?

The fracture line extends through the junction of the head and neck of femur. Although many classifications are proposed Garden classification and Pauwel classification are generally followed from a practical point of view as these two systems take into consideration the stability of the fractures.