A group of clinicians working at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Japan, reports a case of unusual bilateral non-displaced fatigue fracture of the femoral neck in a 61 years old lady in the journal Orthopaedics.

Fatigue fractures are found in growing subjects or in your adults subjected to truly strenuous physical training.  Because of the age, this case report is unusual. The report says that the lady had no history of trauma or disease, and that although she had pain and limitation of movement in the hip she was able to ambulate and continue to work as a cleaner.  Fractures were treated operatively with bilateral nailing and healed with no complications.

Given the nature of the fracture and the patient history, we wonder a) how hard is to be a cleaner in Japan and b) how tough are Japanese women to walk around with both hips fractured? Chapeau to this lady!

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