Stress Fracture Risk in Active Adolescent Girls May Be Hereditary

For active teen girls and young women, heredity may be more important than the type of sports or exercise they engage in as a risk factor for stress fractures, according to the study, “Family History Predicts Stress Fracture in Active Female Adolescents.”

Stress fractures are bone defects resulting from repeated application of normal forces. They are especially of concern in active teen girls and young women, as they can indicate bone insufficiency. In active adult women, activity type and menstrual irregularities have been shown to be risk factors for such fractures. But in the 13- to 22-year-olds studied, all of whom regularly participated in impact-loading sports or exercise in the six months preceding their stress fracture, family history alone stood out as a risk factor. The authors suggest that further evaluation of bone density is warranted in active female adolescents with stress fractures. However, they also emphasize that impact-loading exercise is beneficial for adolescent girls and should be promoted.(Source: American Academy of Pediatrics : August 2007)