Maximizing Readiness Through Improved Health and Performance
Increasingly Common and
Incredibly Challenging
Femoral Neck Stress Injuries
The views expressed in
these slides and in today’s
discussion are my own
My views may not be the
same as Auburn University
or the United States
Military
Participants must use
discretion when using the
information contained in
this presentation
http://ww w.auburntigers.com
Experienced sports
medicine professionals
develop great instincts
to identify
musculoskeletal
injuries (MSI) when
they see/hear
common symptoms
CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
My goal today is just
to make sure
somewhere in the
back of your head you
consider FNSF an
option….
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Anatomy Review
Why do I care about FNSFs?
Typically we think of these injuries in post- menopausal women
Then I started working with the military……
CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
Sample of yearly FNSFs in 2 brigades
One year I had 85 FNSFs
in one training location
Months of missed
training
Often end of career
FNSF costs $85K - $150K
Army owns these
Soldiers for the rest of
their lives
We developed screening,
changes in training, and
new diagnosis protocols
Another Soldier on Sticks?
Soldiers come in unfit
Nutrition is poor
Poor diet impacts bone density and calcium levels
Unaccustomed to physical activity/movement
Rapid increase in physical activity
Extensive daily ‘foot time’
192d Prevention Initiative
Reduce unnecessary time standing, especially in IBA
Integrate PRT with foot marches, combatives, and other physical events
Use transport to when possible
Execute PRT with precision, progression, and integration with proper form
and pace.
Utilize approved corrective action, and repetitions/time-directed
exercises prescribed
Maintain foot march pace no faster than 3 mph for red, white, and blue
phase, no faster than 3.5 mph for gold and black phases of IN OSUT.
Use flat terrain when possible and emphasize finishing as a team.
Minimum of seven hours of sleep/night in garrison.
Consider increased injury rates caused by striving to exceed or maximize
APFT scores
Emphasize 4 for the Core and Hip Stability Drill to strengthen hip and core
muscles and minimize injury.
CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
FNSFs in Athletes
Becoming more common in collegiate sports
AU Team Physician sees 3-5/year now
2 women’s cross country
1 men’s cross country
1 women’s BB
Commonalities with other types of Stress Injuries
Often long distance athletes
Tall, lanky Soldiers and athletes more susceptible
Females, especially if not fueling properly are
vulnerable
Rapid increases in training
Unfit athletes training too much
Poor lifetime nutrition
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FNSFs in Athletes
5% of all SFs
1
May see comorbid with SF of the femoral head
or pelvis
May be bilateral
Delay in DX leads to high complication
2,3
8-14 week delay common
Difficult to DX
60% of athletes that suffer complications
never return to preinjury activity level
1
Femoral Neck Stress Fracture
Fracture due to repetitive bending
load (stress) on bone angle over
time
CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
If injury is caught early,
non-weight bearing rest
followed by rehabilitation
can be effective
If not, surgery and pinning
may be required
Femoral Neck Stress Fracture
Femoral Neck Hip Stress Fracture
Typically surgical FNSFs result in hip replacement (20 yrs)
Femoral Neck Stress Fractures/Injury (FNSF)
Are wickedly tricky
They hide
There may be no pain with an almost
through/through injury
They mimic other common injuries
Impossible to predict, hard to prevent
Can occur as rapidly as 1-2 weeks of training
Common symptoms
3
Low back pain
Knee pain
4
Lateral thigh pain
Glute pain, running down to the knee
Inner thigh pain
5
Or no pain at all
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CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
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Signs/Symptoms
1
Antalgic gait
Pain
Deep-achy or sharp shooting
Pain occurs with activity, slowly becomes continuous
Often progresses to night pain
Esp. when log rolls onto involved side
6
Decreased weight bearing
Decreased stride length
Decreased strength
Decreased/painful ROM
Missed FNSF can become emergency
(femoral artery)
Assessment
Complete your normal assessment
It may not be obvious that it’s a hip
problem. If findings are inconclusive, clear
the hip.
Specifically:
Palpation
FN is too deep to palpate, area around hip
joint may be tender, muscles may be tense
and splinting
ROM
PROM - Pain at extremes of external/internal
rotation
RROM often painful, can be weak
Axially loading pain
Supine, heel tap
Functional
Single leg standing (single leg hop can
create a through/through SF*)
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Orthopedic Tests
Complete your normal hip assessment
FABER test often +
Scour test determine if hip involvement, rule
out labral tear
Fulcrum test more specific for femur SF
https://youtu.be/96RqZTYuKrw
Differential DX
1
Hip flexor strain
Greater trochanteric bursitis
Adductor strain
Pubic ramus SF
Low back pathology
Knee pathology
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CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
Imaging
Radiographs may be unremarkable (only 10%
+)
6
Bone scan is positive in multiple locations if
the athlete is in intense training
MRI is the gold standard
Treatment/Rehabilitation
Non-weight bearing rest
Time depends on severity (4-6 weeks non-
surgical)
Once physician approves return to activity
begin hip and core strengthening
Alter-G treadmill
Caution may produce gait changes
Pool PT
Slow return to full weight bearing and
activity
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Take Home Points
FNSFs occur in non-military athletes (5% of all SFs)
Becoming more frequent
FNSFs mimic other injuries
They frequently are missed, causing serious complications
A through/through FNSF is life threatening
Consider FNSF if the injury just doesn’t make sense
Fulcrum test, PROM/RROM, single-leg standing, axial loading
MRI only conclusive DX
CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018
Thank you!
Questions?
1. Gurney B, Boissonnault WG, Andrews R. Differential diagnosis of a femoral
neck/head stress fracture. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical
therapy. 2006;36(2):80-88.
2. Clough TM. Femoral neck stress fracture: the importance of
clinical suspicion and early review. Br J Sports Med.
2002;36(4):308-309.
3. Johansson C, Ekenman I, Toernkvist H, Eriksson E. Stress fractures of
the femoral neck in athletes. The consequence of a delay in diagnosis.
American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1990;18(5):524-528.
4. Carow SD, Houser JD. Trainees With Displaced Hip Fractures Present to
Physical Therapy With Primary Complaint of Knee Pain. Military
medicine. 2017;182(11):e2095-e2098.
5. Rolf C. Pelvis and groin stress fractures: a cause of groin pain in
athletes. Sports Medicine & Arthroscopy Review. 1997;5(4):301-304.
6. Starkey C., Brown SD, Ryan J. Examination of Orthopedic and Athletic Injuries. 3
rd
Ed. F.A. Davis. 2008.
References
CCSU Sports Medicine Symposium 2018
Tuesday March 6, 2018