Do i have stress fractures again? ran x-country and track at the d-i level in college and got tibial stress fractures in both legs at the same time (spring 2005). don't know if i ever totally recovered while in college, trying to stay in shape/running for

If : If you have recurrent or persistent pain at the site of a previous stress fracture, you definitely have to worry that you either have a stress fracture that never completely healed or a recurrent stress fracture. It sounds like you are well aware of risk factors for stress fractures (ie, diet, weight loss, shoes, biomechanical factors). However, in order to know what sort of treatment or intervention is warranted now, you need to know exactly what's going on in the bone. My recommendation would be to see a specialist. If you have physical findings that suggest a stress fracture (like point bony tenderness), i would look at getting a thin section ct scan. This can differentiate an acute stress fracture from a non-union or fibrous union of a chronic stress fracture. The findings will tell you if this is likely to heal with rest or, if something more involved may need to be done such as a bone stimulator or even surgical treatment (like bone grafting or inserting a steel rod in the tibia). The findings will tell you if there are other host factors that may be operative (like nutritional or hormonal factors) or if there is some biomechanical, training, and/or equipment issue that needs further investigation. Good luck!