Bilateral calcaneal stress fractures: a case report.

: The majority of plantar heel pain is diagnosed as plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome. When history or physical findings are unusual or when routine treatment proves ineffective, one should consider an atypical cause of heel pain. Stress fractures of the calcaneus are a frequently unrecognized source of heel pain. In a normal population, the possibility of calcaneal stress fractures must be borne in mind with patients who have bilateral heel pain. When a stress fracture is considered, clinicans have different imaging options. First of all, x-rays must be used to evaluate for any visible osseous pathology. If plain films are inconclusive, the clinician can proceed with a bone scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In the literature, calcaneal stress fractures are mostly reported in soldiers or athletes, but our case is one of a 44-year-old housewife with bilateral heel pain treated as Achilles tendinitis and plantar faciitis for a long time. Her final diagnosis was bilateral calcaneal fracture by Magnetic Resonance Imaging.