hairline fractures
Subtle skeletal fissures
Hairline fractures are tiny cracks in bone, often caused by repetitive stress rather than sudden trauma.
They're common in athletes and may not show up immediately on X-rays: The doctor suspected hairline fractures in her foot from marathon training.
The term sometimes extends to any fine, barely visible crack: hairline fractures in the foundation.
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- boneHard skeletal tissue
- microfractureMicroscopic break in material
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
bone scan · shin · shin splints · splint · pain · healing · recovery time · rest · overuse · running · sports injury · athlete · metatarsal · invisible · tiny · strain · orthopedic · cast