Scaphoid Stress Fracture in a 65-year-old Man with Low Bone Mineral Density: A Case Report

Although commonly reported in women and less commonly in younger athletes, no studies have reported stress fractures of the scaphoid in older, sedentary men. Because of its rarity, osteoporosis in older men is often unrecognized and only diagnosed after the fracture. I describe a previously sedentary 65-year-old man who presented to my clinic with pain in the right wrist after his first day of intense physical activity and underwent 8 weeks of splinting and bracing for treatment of a fracture of the waist of the scaphoid. Ten weeks after the pain began, a computed tomography image revealed healing of the fracture with mild deformity and the results of a bone densitometry test met the criteria for osteopenia. Nontraumatic wrist pain in older male patients may be a clinical sign of fragility stress fracture, which can indicate low bone mineral density and subsequent risk of metabolic bone disease