Mary,an avid runner,was complaining that her lower leg hurt.After going to the doctor,they did not see anything on x-rays of her tibia or fibula.The doctor ordered a bone scan and saw tiny fissures throughout her tibia without any other tissue damage.What is Mary's likely diagnosis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms and diagnostic test results suggest that Mary is most likely experiencing a stress fracture. A stress fracture is a type of bone fracture that occurs when normal activities put too much repeated stress on a bone. This can cause tiny cracks or fissures to form in the bone. The fact that Mary's x-rays did not show any significant damage and that the bone scan revealed small fissures throughout her tibia supports this diagnosis. Pott fracture involves a fracture of the fibula and dislocation of the ankle joint, while Colles fracture involves a fracture of the distal radius bone in the wrist. Impacted fractures occur when one bone is driven into another, and comminuted fractures involve the bone being broken into multiple pieces. These types of fractures would likely have been visible on x-rays.

Mary,an Avid Runner,was Complaining That Her Lower Leg Hurt