Insufficiency stress fractures of the femoral neck in children

Stress fractures can be subdivided into fatigue fractures caused when normal bone is exposed to abnormal stress and insufficiency fractures where normal stress is applied to abnormal bone. Stress fractures of the femoral neck, although uncommon, have a high complication rate if the diagnosis is missed or the patient is improperly treated. Femoral neck stress fracture in children is a rare event. Eight children with 10 insufficiency fractures of femoral neck were treated successfully. There were 2 boys and 6 girls with the average age 11 years. The right hip affected in 4 children and the left hip in 2 and 2 children with bilateral hip affection. Four fractures were incomplete, and 6 were complete. The average follow-up period was 5 years. The time for radiological union ranged between 6 and 12 weeks (average 8 weeks). The time for full weight bearing ranged between 4 and 8 weeks (average 6 weeks). Most of the children became asymptomatic from the fracture at the average of 7 weeks. Stress insufficiency fracture of the femoral neck in children considered as high-risk fracture and should be treated aggressively with attention to lower the risk of additional fractures and preserve quality of life in these children. So, intervention should be targeted toward limiting further bone loss and decrease the risk of falls. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Studies–Investigating the Results of Treatment: Level IV: Case series.