Diseases

Stress Fractures

Fractures due to the strain caused by repetitive exercise. They are thought to arise from a combination of MUSCLE FATIGUE and bone failure, and occur in situations where BONE REMODELING predominates over repair. The most common sites of stress fractures are the METATARSUS; FIBULA; TIBIA; and FEMORAL NECK.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Fractures due to the strain caused by repetitive exercise. They are thought to arise from a combination of MUSCLE FATIGUE and bone failure, and occur in situations where BONE REMODELING predominates over repair. The most common sites of stress fractures are the METATARSUS; FIBULA; TIBIA; and FEMORAL NECK.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

23 entry terms
  • Fatigue Fractures
  • Fractures, Fatigue
  • Fractures, March
  • Fractures, Stress
  • Fatigue Fracture
  • Fracture, Fatigue
  • Fracture, March
  • Fracture, Stress
  • March Fracture
  • March Fractures
  • Stress Fracture
  • Bone Stress Reaction
  • Insufficiency Fractures
  • Micro Fractures
  • Microfractures
  • Stress Reaction, Bone
  • Bone Stress Reactions
  • Fracture, Insufficiency
  • Fracture, Micro
  • Fractures, Micro
  • Insufficiency Fracture
  • Micro Fracture
  • Microfracture

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

coordinate with specific organ /inj or organ/fracture term; entry term FATIGUE FRACTURES refers to bone fractures: do not use for metal fatigue as in fatigue fractures of amalgams, nails, screw plates, etc. (index STRESS, MECHANICAL)

MeSH Record

History Note

90

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Fractures (1966-1989)
  • Repetition Strain Injury (1987-1989)
  • Stress, Mechanical (1971-1989)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WE 180

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Stress Fractures. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D015775. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D015775
  2. Stress Fractures. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_fracture
  3. Stress Fractures. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41392