pathological fracture
Last reviewed 01/2018
A pathological fracture is one that occurs in abnormal bone, as a result of a normally insignificant stress.
Possible causes include:
- metastatic tumours:
- breast, lung, thyroid, kidney, prostate
- generalised bone disease:
- osteogenesis imperfecta, postmenopausal osteoporosis, metabolic bone disease, myelomatosis, polyostic fibrous dysplasia, Paget's disease
- local benign conditions:
- chronic infection, solitary bone cyst, fibrous cortical defect, chondromyxoid fibroma, aneurysmal bone cyst, chondroma, monostotic fibrous dysplasia
- primary malignant tumours:
- chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing's tumour