December 25, 2018
Keio University School of Medicine
With the aim of preventing stress fractures in athletes, a research group led by Project Associate Professor Takeshi Miyamoto of the Endowed Department of Advanced Therapeutic Research for Musculoskeletal Disorders at the Keio University School of Medicine surveyed 56 female members of the university's Athletic Association. The study investigated the relationship between a history of stress fractures and a history of factors thought to be related to their occurrence, such as menstrual disorders, dietary restrictions, and weight loss. The team also attempted to identify biomarkers through blood and urine tests.
The results of the survey showed that 13 participants (23.2%) reported a history of stress fractures, and more than half had a history of menstrual disorders, weight loss, or shin splints. Among these factors, menstrual disorders were found to be significantly correlated with a history of stress fractures, increasing the risk eightfold. In addition, it was shown that individuals with a history of stress fractures had an approximately five times higher risk of developing a new stress fracture.
In blood and urine samples, creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are generally known to show high levels after exercise. However, in individuals with a history of stress fractures, these levels were significantly higher compared to those without fractures. It was also revealed that the levels of osteocalcin (OC) and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), known as bone formation markers, were significantly lower. These findings suggest that high levels of CK and LDH and low levels of OC and ucOC are effective biomarkers for stress fractures.
These findings provide valuable information for preventing stress fractures in Japanese female athletes and are expected to be useful for effective prevention measures for all those involved in sports, including not only the competitors themselves but also their coaches.
The results of this research were published in the international scientific journal "Scientific Reports" on December 21, 2018.
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