A case of a 17-year-old female ballet student who presented to physical therapy with complaints of pain in her left forefoot is described. She exhibited a stress fracture of the second metatarsal, which was confirmed by a bone scan. The patient's history of an irregular menstral cycle, low weight, the emotional stress and physical demands of her training combined with the results of a biomechanical evaluation provide a classic example of the etiology of this injury in female ballet dancers.
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