Stress Fracture of the Hip
During running and other high-impact activities, the hip joint absorbs some of the greatest forces in the body. Repeated high-impact activities and overuse can result in a stress fracture—a break that occurs when minor injuries to the bone build up beyond its capacity to repair itself. Therefore, stress fractures of the hip are critical to diagnose and treat quickly. Without treatment, they can lead to severe damage to the hip joint, even in young athletes.
Symptoms include pain in the groin or front of the hip. If the stress fracture worsens, pain may become constant.
Treatment
- Activity modification until symptoms resolve
- Surgery to stabilize the fracture in severe cases, where the fracture area is large or symptoms do not respond to rest
