Bilateral iliac stress fracture in a young male military cadet: report of an unusual case

Abstract

Stress fractures are common in highly active people, such as athletes or the military population and occur more frequently in the tibia and especially the tarsal and metatarsal bones. Concomitant bilateral presentation is rare and especially bilateral iliac bone stress fracture has never been reported in the current English literature. We present a case of a young Air Force cadet with acute onset of bilateral hip pain, while participating in the routine military training program. Clinical examination, radiologic evaluation and MRI established the diagnosis of bilateral iliac bone stress fracture. The patient followed conservative treatment with partial weight bearing using crutches and the symptoms disappeared after a 3 month period.