Bilateral stress fractures of the ulna in a young adolescent

Abstract

We present a case of bilateral ulnar stress fractures in a young male adolescent (15 years old) due to honour guard training and discuss the possible mechanism of this injury. In addition to acquisition of medical history, physical examination and plain radiography, we performed MRI to exclude pathological causes and confirm the plain radiographic findings, indicating stress reactions. Ulnar stress fractures are bone injuries caused by repetitive muscle pull and the reaction of supporting tissues. In honour guard training, the acceleration due to gravity and chronic torsional stress may also contribute to overloading. Thus, such fractures are best managed by avoiding overloading. In addition, we review the literature on stress fractures of the ulnar shaft to map this special kind of fracture.