Sacral stress fractures in military recruits: A commonly missed uncommon entity

Abstract

Sacral stress fractures are a relatively rare entity which are particularly difficult to identify and diagnose. A high index of suspicion, especially in individuals at risk, like long-distance runners, female athletes, military recruits, and individuals who have recently started training for competitive sports and are hence unaccustomed to training, who complain of low backache with or without buttock or groin pain, will indeed help the physician in not missing out on this diagnosis. A thorough evaluation, including tests to rule out insufficiency fractures due to associated illnesses along with a magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints, is mandatory to recognize this problem and institute early, appropriate treatment.

Keywords

• diagnosis
• evaluation
• sacrum
• stress fracture