
'The most common running-related stress fractures are to the tibia,' says physiotherapist Neil Smith. The most common stress fractures for runners are in the hip, leg and foot bones but the vast majority – over 80% – occur in the legs.

You can get a stress fracture in any bone, but they most commonly occur in the lower limbs. The worse the symptoms get and the longer you ignore them, the more likely it is to develop into a full-blown stress fracture.' Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, cautions runners not to ignore early signs: 'A stress reaction or a stress injury happens when the bone starts to swell inside.
#Tibial stress fracture crack#
Eventually, the fatigued muscle transfers the overload of stress to the bone, causing a tiny crack called a stress fracture,' explains Dr Matthew Oliver, consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Benenden Hospital, Kent. 'Stress fractures occur when muscles become fatigued and are unable to absorb added shock. Perhaps the bone isn't strong enough, or has been subject to too sharp an increase in load. They usually occur when the capacity of the bone to absorb impact is simply overloaded. For runners they are a relatively common overuse injury, and typically develop from repetitive action or force rather than from a single traumatic event, like a fall. What is a stress fracture, and where are runners most likely to get them?Ī stress fracture is a small crack or break in the bone. They are painful, sometimes appear seemingly out of nowhere, and can keep you away from your beloved sport for months.īut what actually is a stress fracture, how does it differ from an outright break, and how can you do your very best to avoid ever getting one? Here's our guide to everything you need to know. But if there's one injury that really strikes fear into the heart of every runner, it's the stress fracture.

As runners we might be annoyed by blisters, concerned by chafing, and fret about turning a mild strain into something worse.
