Calcaneal stress fractures in amateur football players

Abstract

Stress fractures resulting from physical exercise have been recognized since 1855, when Breithaupt reported foot pain and swelling in a group of Prussian soldiers feet (1,8). They typically occur in normal bones which are subjected to repeated cyclic force but the strength of the force applied on the bone should not be strong enough to result in an acute fracture. For this reason stress fractures are generally seen in military recruits, ballets, dancing students, athletic trainers who participate in repetitive travmatic sporting activites (1,5).