• ShresthaSailendra Kumar DuwalSKDDepartment of Orthopedic and Trauma Services, Nepal Armed Police Force Hospital, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal., Ajaya Basnet, Netra Bahadur Karki, Prabin Nepal, Umash Karki, Samir Kc, Kumar Shrestha, Basanta Tamang, and Mahendra Raj Shrestha.
• Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Services, Nepal Armed Police Force Hospital, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal.
• JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc. 2022 Jan 15; 60 (245): 68-71.

IntroductionYoung paramilitary recruits, who undergo strenuous exercise during basic training, are often presented with stress fractures, which could be due to an inadequate vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) intake. This study aimed to find the prevalence of stress fracture among young paramilitary trainees visiting the orthopedic outpatient department of a paramilitary hospital.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study done among paramilitary trainees in a paramilitary Hospital of Nepal between April 2019 to April 2021. The study was approved by the Ethical Review Board (Reference number: 1003) of the Nepal Health Research Council. Convenience sampling was used. Anthropometric variables, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, and bone mineral density of spine and hip were determined. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 17.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency, proportion for binary data and mean, standard deviation for continuous data.ResultsAmong 417 young paramilitary trainees, 24 (5.76%) (3.52-7.99 at 95% Confidence Interval) were found to have a stress fracture. The stress fracture patients had a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 21.47ng/mL±6.98. Similarly, the bone mineral density value of the spine and hip among the patients was -1.34g/cm2±1.37 and 0.36g/cm2±1.24, respectively.ConclusionsThe prevalence of stress fracture among young paramilitary trainee was high compared to previous studies. Additionally, average Vitamin D and the bone mineral density value of the spine and the total hip among stressed fractured patients were also low.

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