Contributor: Jared Scott, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Pathologic bone fractures occur due to weakened bones from chronic disease and with less force when compared to non-pathologic fractures
• Can be due to bone tumors, bone cysts, infections (osteomyelitis), osteogenesis imperfecta, Paget’s disease of bone, and multiple myeloma
• Have moth bitten or lytic appearance and you can sometimes see the periosteum peeling away from the bone

References

Angelini A, Trovarelli G, Berizzi A, Pala E, Breda A, Maraldi M, Ruggieri P. Treatment of pathologic fractures of the proximal femur. Injury. 2018 Nov;49 Suppl 3:S77-S83. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2018.09.044. PMID: 30415673.

Marshall RA, Mandell JC, Weaver MJ, Ferrone M, Sodickson A, Khurana B. Imaging Features and Management of Stress, Atypical, and Pathologic Fractures. Radiographics. 2018 Nov-Dec;38(7):2173-2192. doi: 10.1148/rg.2018180073. PMID: 30422769.

Unbreakable 

Summarized by Jackson Roos, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD