2. Taking a Misstep
Exercise and sporty activities aren’t the only things that can strain the ligaments and tendons enough to cause an avulsion fracture; there are many cases where simple, small things can catch a bone, muscle or ligament in the wrong way and cause the same type of injury – and it can happen at any time.
This can easily happen when crossing the street and misstepping the curb, when walking down or upstairs or when entering a room. Sometimes it just happens, and there’s not much one can do to anticipate it happening. Pain, discomfort and immediate swelling of the affected area are some ways to tell that an area has been hurt, but the extent of the damage can only be seen and diagnosed with an x-ray.
Conditions that affect bone such as arthritis or connective tissue (such as Ehlers-Danlos) can increase the risk of spontaneous avulsion fractures like these.