What is a stress fracture?

Load beyond capacity: If weight bearing bones are loaded beyond what their capacity is to handle the force, the bone will break down and become injured and cause stress fracture.

Exam and imaging: Stress fractures may be hard to see on standard x-rays and additional studies such as bone scan or MRI may be helpful. A careful history and exam is also very important as you correctly implied it can be confsuing so seek out so called experts such as a hand surgeon or orthopedic surgeon who specializes in that anatomical region.

Exam and imaging: A stress fracture is a fracture but stress fractures may be hard to see on standard x-rays and additional studies such as bone scan or MRI may be helpful. A careful history and exam is also very important as you correctly implied it can be confsuing so seek out so called experts such as a hand surgeon or orthopedic surgeon who specializes in that anatomical region.

Stress fracture: Agree with dr wint. Also, overuse to the bone increases the load or stress and can create these "stress" fractures.

Injury to the bone: Bone is constantly being broken down and re-built. With repetitive activity, it may break down more than it repairs itself resulting in a fracture of the bone. Rest, sometimes immobilization, and rarely surgery are treatment options.

STRESS FX: This results from repetitive, excessive load on a bone, resulting in micro fractures, a stress reaction to the bone, and finally, a stress fx.