Pathologic Fractures

A pathologic fracture occurs when a bone breaks in an area that is weakened by another disease process. Causes of weakened bone include tumors, infection, and certain inherited bone disorders. There are dozens of diseases and conditions that can lead to a pathologic fracture.

For an example of a pathologic fracture, here is the case of a patient who has breast cancer that has spread to bone. The breast cancer has weakened the bone making it susceptible to breaking:

• A patient with a pathologic fracture