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Fracture (pathological)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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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

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