Fatigue fractures of the fibula.

In (lescribing certain fractures of the fibula, sustained without violence, the writer (Burro ,s’s I 940) expressed the hope that further cases would be published so that something COU1(l be learnt of these uncommon fractures. Additional cases have now been described. The writer has encountered five other personal cases, and scrutiny of the literature has revealed at least one pre ’i us case (Detlefsen 1937). It seems fitting, therefore, to review the subject in detail. Fatigue fracture of this bone ranks in frequency after the metatarsus, the tibia, and perhaps the femur (Asal 1937, Richmond 1945). As a site for fatigue fracture the tibula has a special, though not unique, place in being a non-weight-bearing bone-a fact which emphasizes the importance of the stresses of muscular action rather than those of weight-bearing.