Imaging of stress fractures and involved risk of ionizing radiation

Early diagnosis of stress reaction or fracture helps to avoid complications. Symptoms can be vague and nonspecific. Imaging can provide information on the presence of stress injury, the extent of injury, and the predicted time of recovery. Radiation risks have to be taken into account when choosing the imaging modality because ionizing radiation is considered to be a carcinogenic agent in any dose. The current chapter elaborates on the ionizing radiation risks associated with some of the imaging modalities, the guidance of several international professional organizations for the protection of the patient against ionizing radiation in medical exposure, as well as advantages and disadvantages of the different imaging modalities in diagnosing stress fracture of different body parts.