Differential Diagnosis of Complicated Bone Stress Injury in a Female Collegiate Swimmer

Abstract

An 18-year-old woman presented to a direct-access military physical therapy clinic after a fall directly onto the knee, with subsequent medial knee pain. The history and examination of the patient led the physical therapist to order radiographs, which revealed a pre-existing metaphyseal fibrous defect. On the same day, an orthopaedic consultation recommended magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, which showed a progression from a benign cortical defect to disruption of the posterior femur and surrounding bone marrow edema consistent with bone stress injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(10):823. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7731