Duke Medical Minutes are produced by local sports radio affiliates and allow Duke specialists to give a brief snapshot into health offerings at Duke.

In this episode, Selene Parekh, MD, MBA, discusses the treatment of stress fractures.

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Podcast Transcript

Announcer: We’re joined by Dr. Selene Parekh, associate professor, Duke University Medical Center, talking about foot and ankle today.

Parekh: Foot and ankle injuries are fairly common in the athletic population, but also in individuals who may not be your weekend warriors and they’re just doing everyday activities.

Announcer: If you’re thinking about stress fracture, you know, a lot of people kind of throw the term around. So, what exactly is a stress fracture?

Parekh: If you think of a bone as having a hard outer shell and a soft inner core, the stress fracture is where the inner core breaks, but the hard outer shell is still okay. Most stress fractures can be treated without surgery, and it’s basically a tincture of time. You may be put into a special shoe or a boot; sometimes you are given special medications to help treat the stress fracture. Occasionally, there are those stress fractures that need to be treated surgically.

Announcer: What is the best way to contact you?

Parekh: I’m with the North Carolina Orthopaedic Clinic, affiliated with Duke Medicine. Our direct number here is 471-9622 and our Web address is www.ncorthoclinic.com.