Stress fractures in the elderly population: An increasingly unappreciated problem

The prevalence of high-activity levels in the elderly is associated with increasing numbers of stress fractures. Many of these fractures are undetected and are often attributed to different medical conditions, while others may deteriorate to severely debilitating states. Retrospective and prospective studies of a closed, active elderly population of 402 patients, who were monitored for prevalence of stress fractures over a 2 year period, were conducted. Each complaint of musculoskeletal pain was recorded and evaluated by radiographs and bone scans. The number of stress fractures detected in the retrospective study was 3-fold larger than that of the prospective study. The need for greater awareness by the elderly population and medical profession of this underestimated problem is emphasized and discussed.