What is a Stress Fracture?

A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone, or severe bruising within a bone. In a stress fracture, the bone breaks but does not shift position. Over time, with repetitive stresses, your bones can become ‘weakened’, which is a stress reaction. This weakness increases the risk of a stress fracture.

Where can stress fractures occur?

Most often found in weight bearing bones of the foot:

• Metatarsal Bones The second and third metatarsals of the foot are most prone to stress fractures. Less commonly, people may have fractures of the fourth and fifth metatarsals.
• Navicular The navicular is one of the bones in the middle of the foot. The navicular bone is not commonly associated with stress fractures, and the diagnosis can sometimes be hard to make.
• Talus The talus is one of the bones in the heel of the foot. It is an uncommon bone to be affected by stress fracture.
• Sesamoid Bones The sesamoids are two small bones located in the ball of the foot, beneath the joint of the big toe. These small bones can sometimes be affected by stress fractures.
• Calcaneus The calcaneus is the bone that makes up the heel of your foot. It is the second most common area of the foot to develop stress fractures.