Bilateral triradiate cartilage injury: an overuse syndrome in an adolescent football player

Abstract

The triradiate cartilage is not a recognized site for an overuse injury. We present here X-ray and MRI findings of a young athlete with chronic right-sided hip pain that proved to be secondary to triradiate cartilage overuse injury. MRI also revealed similar but milder findings on the left side. Distal radial and proximal humeral epiphyses, iliac bone, tibial tubercle, calcaneal and proximal 5th metatarsal apophyses are common sites of overuse injuries in the skeletally immature athletes. Radiological findings may resemble a Salter-Harris type I injury, but an insidious onset of the symptoms, absence of acute trauma, and bilaterality of MRI findings may help differentiate these entities.