Q1. I am an active woman in her 20s and recently was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my ankle from breaking in new high heel shoes. I thought stress fractures only occurred in people with bone density issues? Are there other causes?
Stress fractures occur when bones are subjected to moderate forces that occur either too frequently or for too long. Consider the young gymnast performing too many practice vaults developing a tibia (shin) stress fracture or a runner increasing the length of their marathon training runs developing a metatarsal stress fracture. Alternatively, there may be an abnormality of bone quantity (osteoporosis) or bone quality (osteomalacia). Malalignment conditions, training errors and hormonal abnormalities are among the many additional predisposing conditions.
