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1 year ago I stress fractured my LEFT femur at mid-leg after a 10 mile run. A bone scan showed the fracture and my orthopedic doc took me off exercise completely. After 3 months I was able to slowly begin running again. I completely changed my training routine (every other day runs and lots of cross training) I experienced zero pain so I slowly started training again for a half marathon. After working my way up to a 10 mile run, I felt an "awareness" in my RIGHT leg. I immediately stopped training,took a 2 week rest and tried to run again. I could not run without a limp and have not ran since. (now going on 7 months total) Last month I started a very slow training program (run/walk) starting at less than 1 mile and have worked up to 5 miles but the pain is still there. A bone scan yesterday indicates a stress fracture in my RIGHT Leg. What is the treatment for a fracture that will not heal? What can be causing this? I am 51 years old, in very good physical shape and eat well
Gender: FemaleAge: 51 Already Tried: I changed my training program to include more cross training and have a deep tissue massage therapist visit every other week to keep my muscles loose. I have a history of osteoporosis in my family but bone density tests show I am in the low normal range. I take fosamax, D3 Calcium and live on milk and yogurt.
Hello,
Welcome to Just Answer and thanks for your question. Have you had a bone density test? Who was guiding your training?
Yes - I have had 3 tests over the years. Diagnosed with osteopina 10 years ago, was put on fosamax 35 mg 1 time weekly and I take Calcium supplement, D3 and live on milk and yogurt. Since my first density test, my I have improved up into the "low normal" range and gained 2 1/2" in height.
It's good you are improving. Bones constantly remodel themselves with old bone cells being resorbed and new bone cells being made. When the cells are repeatedly stressed, it can become too much too soon and the new cells cannot be made fast enough. This leaves weakness in the bone and a stress fracture often develops. It sounds like the left leg did okay healing, but the right leg was stressed when you began to try to train again. It isn't unusual to take up to 12-16 weeks for stress fractures to heal, even in teens and 20s athletes. That can be slower in someone who is 50 and osteopenic. If you have a sports doctor in the orthopedic practice you see, seeing him or her might be helpful. You would also want to have some excellent training help when you begin to move again. Too much too soon is the usual problem with stress fractures.
What is normal treatment for a stress fracture that has not healed in 7 months? Is it common to cast it - I have been told that it is possible that they might have to pin it.
If it hasn't healed, it can be casted, or pinned (or both). I'm sorry, I didn't understand that the first fracture was still bothering you. I thought the problem was that the other femur developed a stress fracture when you went back to training.
The first fracture has healed very well in my left leg. This injury happened 1 year ago. The injury to my right leg happened the end of Feb 2009 and has yet to heal with zero exercise.
Thanks! Then they are going to have to immobilize to try to get the osteoblasts to lay down some new bone and get the fracture healed. That could mean pinning or casting or both depending on how bad it appears on the films.
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