title: Lumbar spine stress fracture in a young athlete.
abstract: An 18-year-old rugby player suffered pain at the left lumbosacral junction after intensifying his level of practice. Plain radiographs were negative, but single-photon-emission computed tomography and three-dimensional bone scan images showed a lesion on the left neural arch of L-5. After conservative treatment and 10 pain-free weeks, he resumed training. One week later, symptoms recurred, and standard computed tomography showed a vertical fracture through the S-1 facet. This rare fracture illustrates the need to consider the unusual injury, especially in younger athletes who participate in high-level sports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, IRL.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duffy