Stress fractures feel like they're everywhere lately but I don't think its changing disproportionately. I dig into why, what's really going on, and which bits of the "epidemic" narrative I think hold up.

Refs:

Bennell KL, Malcolm SA, Thomas SA, Reid SJ, Brukner PD, Ebeling PR, Wark JD. Risk factors for stress fractures in track and field athletes: a twelve-month prospective study. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1996;24(6):810–818.

Knapik J, Montain SJ, McGraw S, Grier T, Ely M, Jones BH. Stress fracture risk factors in basic combat training. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012;33(11):940–946.

Changstrom BG, Brou L, Khodaee M, Braund C, Comstock RD. Epidemiology of stress fracture injuries among US high school athletes, 2005–2006 through 2012–2013. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;43(1):26–33.

Rizzone KH, Ackerman KE, Roos KG, Dompier TP, Kerr ZY. The epidemiology of stress fractures in collegiate student-athletes, 2004–2005 through 2013–2014 academic years. Journal of Athletic Training. 2017;52(10):966–975.

Shi BY, Castaneda C, Sriram V, Yamasaki S, Wu SY, Kremen TJ. Changes in the incidence of stress reactions and fractures among intercollegiate athletes after the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 2023;18(1):788.

Bergman AG, Fredericson M, Ho C, Matheson GO. Asymptomatic tibial stress reactions: MRI detection and clinical follow-up in distance runners. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2004;183(3):635–638.

Kiuru MJ, Niva M, Reponen A, Pihlajamäki HK. Bone stress injuries in asymptomatic elite recruits: a clinical and magnetic resonance imaging study. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2005;33(2):272–276.

Hoenig T, Ackerman KE, Beck BR, Bouxsein ML, Burr DB, Hollander K, Popp KL, Rolvien T, Tenforde AS, Warden SJ. Bone stress injuries. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2022;8(1):26.

AusPlay (Australian Sports Commission). National participation data on running and jogging, 2015–present. https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/research/ausplay