Femoral supracondylar stress fractures: an unusual cause of knee pain.

Abstract

Supracondylar stress fractures are rare and can cause anterior knee pain. Persistent, intense pain occurs in the knee and distal thigh and may be mistaken for patellofemoral pain syndrome unless the fracture is identified by radiographic modalities (MRI or bone scan). Two cases of supracondylar femoral stress fractures in female runners highlight the need to seek proximal pathologies when patients report knee pain that cannot be explained by other conditions.