Poor Pavel Podkolzin. If you don't know him, and you probably don't, he's a 7 foot 5 inch Russian that plays basketball for the Dallas Mavericks. Unfortunately for Pavel Podkolzin, he injured his foot and ended up with a stress fracture. Specifically, it's his right foot and he had to undergo surgery, including adding two screws, to repair it.

What is a stress fracture? A stress fracture isn't a break of a bone, but more like a crack in the bone. They are usually very small and can cause intense pain. In this case, Pavel Podkolzin's right foot developed a stress fracture.

What causes a stress fracture? Since bones are continually rebuilding, there are times where one part of a bone may be weaker than another. If the bone is put under a great deal of stress, like a 7 foot 5 inch man playing basketball, they can develop small cracks.

How is a stress fracture diagnosed? X-rays don't do a good job of showing stress fractures, as they are very confined and narrow. A CT scan or MRI will help show the actual fracture.

What are the symptoms of a stress fracture?

• Pain in the area affected
• Pain increases when the area is weight bearing
• Severe, less and severe pain when in the middle of a workout

How do you treat a stress fracture? Rest will heal a stress fracture wholly for most people. In some cases where there is no time to rest or the fracture is in danger of spreading, surgery is called for. Plates or screws are used to fuse the fracture in place.

How do you recover from a stress fracture? It depends on the location of the fracture, but in all cases rest is the hey factor. It usually takes 6 months for a stress fracture to heal completely. Sometimes physical therapy will be used to tone the muscles around the bone in an attempt to shoulder the load.