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  • Early diagnosis of femoral ...
    Patel, Kruten M.; Handal, Brian A.; Payne, William K.

    International journal of surgery case reports, 01/2018, Volume: 53
    Journal Article

    •Stress Fractures in elderly patients are rarely discussed.•Vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, and weight are important comorbidities to consider for these stress fractures.•Have a high index of suspicion when multiple risk factors are observed in a patient.•Patients can be treated non-operatively or with minimally invasive procedures if the issue is identified early. Early intervention in femoral neck stress fractures (FNSFs) can be self- limiting, but they have an insidious presentation. High index of suspicion for an occult fracture is necessary to avoid bilateral progression and/or operative interventions. A 83-year-old female, non-athlete, presents with multiple comorbidities and progressive bilateral FNSFs. Initially the patient presented with groin pain and radiographs demonstrated a non-displaced compression type fracture of the right femoral neck without any inciting events. Subsequently, during a post-operative visit of her right hip, a work-up for new onset contralateral groin pain revealed a non-displaced tension type fracture on the left femoral neck. Both FNSFs were treated with percutaneous cannulated screw fixation. Vitamin D deficiency, poor nutrition, and osteoporosis have been associated with developing stress fractures. This presents an interesting question of whether these frequently referenced risk factors play an interrelated role. Treatment algorithms are controversial, but have been successful in preventing the progression of occult stress fractures. Yet, identification of FNSFs represents a major challenge in diagnosis for clinicians. This case report documents an uncommon fracture pattern in the elderly population. With an aging population, it is pertinent to avoid missed opportunities for prompt diagnosis and implementation of noninvasive methods of treatment. Therefore, paying attention to the risk factors with a high index of suspicion would be ideal.