ABSTRACT
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................53 Pathophysiology ...............................................................................................................................54 Imaging.............................................................................................................................................54 MR Appearance of Stress Fractures by Anatomic Site...................................................................55 Conclusion........................................................................................................................................57 References ........................................................................................................................................58
Foot and ankle fractures can present as acute post-traumatic fractures, stress fatigue fractures, or stress insufficiency fractures. Diagnostically, acute post-traumatic fractures rarely present a problem; radiographs are usually diagnostic, and, if need be, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examinations can be performed in difficult cases, such as radiographically occult osteochondral defects (OCD). Stress fatigue fractures and stress insufficiency fractures present a more difficult diagnostic problem since radiographs are often normal or nondiagnostic. In these cases, MRI should be considered early in a patient’s evaluation.
