Epidemiology of stress fractures

Stress fractures are a frequent cause of injury in competitive and recreational athletes. The pathophysiology of stress fracture has been well described in the literature. Data regarding the epidemiology of stress fractures in athletes, including injury patterns and risk factors, are lacking. Clinical experience suggests that stress fractures occur more frequently in sports involving repetitive weight-bearing, activity; however, little else is known. This article briefly discusses the intricacies of sports injury epidemiology and reviews the current literature regarding stress fracture incidence, characteristics, and morbidity. Because the focus is on competitive and recreational athletes, the discussion does not include a review of the large body of literature pertaining to stress fractures in military recruits.