title: Bilateral femoral fatigue fracture: an unusual fracture in a military recruit.
abstract: We present a case report of a military recruit who had bilateral fatigue fractures of the distal femur. Possible predisposing factors and the long-term outcome of these unusual stress fractures also are presented. A 19-year-old recruit experienced knee pain 2 weeks after starting his military service. Bilateral nondisplaced transverse fatigue fractures were detected radiographically in the supracondylar region on the right side and in the distal 1/3 of the femoral shaft on the left side. The fractures were treated with plaster casts for 5 weeks and healed properly. Osteopenia was seen in further examinations. At followup after 31 months followup the patient had fully resumed his previous athletic activity level and was symptom-free. Osteopenia still could be detected at the final examination. Nonoperative treatment with careful followup resulted in a favorable outcome in the nondisplaced bilateral distal fatigue femoral fractures in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Military Medicine, Central Military Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sari T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Ole M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Böstman
authors.forename: Martti J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kiuru
authors.forename: Harri K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Pihlajamäki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D011859:Radiography