Stress Fractures in Sport: Knee

Stress fractures around the knee have a wide range of reported incidence in the literature, and they are probably underdiagnosed. These overuse injuries may occur in the distal femur, patella, tibial plateau, proximal tibia, or tibia diaphysis. Patella stress fractures are extremely rare, but are at serious risk for displacement. Tibial stress fractures are the most common stress fracture among athletes, but the morphology and prognosis of these injuries change drastically depending on their location, and therefore must be characterized separately. This chapter will try and elucidate the trends of these stress fractures in athletes by detailing their relevant epidemiology, classification, diagnosis, treatment, complications, rehabilitation, and preventative measures.