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Mechanobiology

Is Use of Bone Cement for Treatment of Second Metatarsal Stress Fractures Safe? A Case Report

AUTHORS

McKissack HMHaley M , He JKJun Kit , Montgomery TPTyler P , Wilson JTJohn T , Jha AJAaradhana J , Moraes LVLeonardo V , Shah AAshish . Cureus. 2018 10 9; 10(10). e3436

ABSTRACT

Metatarsal stress fractures are common injuries of the foot and can be a source of chronic pain without appropriate management. Conservative management is first line, but surgery may be indicated in athletes, cases of nonunion, and fractures of the fifth metatarsal. We report a case of a 34-year-old female who presented to clinic for intractable pain of the left foot secondary to a stress fracture of the left second metatarsal, which had been previously treated with injectable acrylic bone cement. Calcium sulfate hydroxyapatite cement has a multitude of applications in orthopedic surgery, but to our knowledge no studies have documented its use in the treatment of metatarsal stress fractures. Our findings suggest that injectable calcium sulfate hydroxyapatite cement is not a suitable stand-alone treatment in fractures of the second metatarsal.