Stress osteopathy of the femoral head - 10 military recruits followed for 5-11 years

I present 10 cases of spongious bone injury of the femoral head induced by physical stress. All patients were young military recruits who complained of hip pain from weight bearing which had started during physical exertion. Increased uptake in a radionuclide bone scan was regarded as the criterion for stress osteopathy. 7 hips were radiographically normal. In 3 cases a subcortical lateral cystic lesion of the femoral head was observed. MRI was performed in 6 cases. A decreased signal intensity in T1-weighted images in 5 cases and high signals in T2-weighted and IR signals (2 patients) indicated bone marrow edema. A lateral osteophyte of the femoral head developed in 1 case during 8 years' follow-up, After a median of 6 years, 9 patients still had occasional slight hip pain.