A small crack in the bone resulting from chronic, excessive impact is a ...

• A. Stress fracture
• B. Spiral fracture
• C. Open fracture
• D. Compression fracture

Answer: (A)

A stress fracture is a small crack that develops in a bone from repetitive, submaximal loading—like running or jumping with sudden increases in activity. This kind of injury happens gradually because the bone accumulates micro-damage from ongoing impact rather than a single, high-energy event. That’s why it often presents as localized pain that worsens with activity and may not show up on early X-rays. It’s different from other fracture types: a spiral fracture comes from a twisting force and has a spiral-shaped break pattern; an open fracture involves the bone breaking through the skin; a compression fracture results when the bone is crushed or squashed, typically in the vertebrae. The described small crack from chronic impact fits the pattern of a stress fracture.