Athletes are susceptible to sports injuries anywhere on the body, and there are a number of bone, ligament, muscle, and skin injuries that are not specific to one joint or appendage. Sports played, play style, and play or workout intensity can all contribute to where and to what degree one of the more general sports injuries are sustained.
Players of almost any sport may sustain a stress fracture during the course of play, but they are most common among long-distance runners, tennis players, dancers, gymnasts, and basketball and soccer players.

The words broken bone and fracture both refer to a break in the bone that occurs when an outside force is too great for the bone to handle. Learn about the different types of fractures that can occur.

Poor conditioning is not the only cause of stress fractures. Changes in exercise or play patterns, too much intensity, and bone density can all contribute to sustaining stress fractures.
Stress fractures are typically diagnosed through a three-step process, which includes diagnostic imaging such as X-ray, MRI, or CT scan.
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