Stress fracture of the femoral neck in a child. Case report and review of the literature.

Fatigue fractures generally appear in normal bone following increased repetitive activity or strenuous exercise, when imbalance occurs between applied force and elastic resistance. Femoral neck fatigue fractures are most common in athletes and young military recruits; such fractures in children with open physes are very rare. This paper reports a fatigue fracture of the femoral neck in an 8-year-old girl presenting with pain in the anterior aspect of the right thigh, of one month duration and without evidence of previous injury. Bed rest and relief of weight bearing are indicated for nondisplaced compression fractures. Surgical treatment is indicated for tension fractures. In most cases, the outcome is favorable, and complications are rarely reported.