Sports injuries: female athlete triad: practice question

A Orthopaedics question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Orthopaedics · Sports injuries: female athlete triad

Sample item

A 19-year-old distance runner has amenorrhoea, a low body weight and a second metatarsal stress fracture. Which combination describes the underlying syndrome?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and low bone density

The female athlete triad is low energy availability with or without an eating disorder, menstrual dysfunction and low bone mineral density, and it predisposes to stress fractures. Management is nutritional restoration and reduced training load. Ignoring the cause leads to recurrent fractures.

Option by option

  • A. Low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and low bone density (correct)

    Correct. Energy deficiency, amenorrhoea and low bone density form the triad.

  • B. Hypercalcaemia, hypothyroidism and obesity

    These endocrine abnormalities do not describe the triad.

  • C. Anaemia, hyperprolactinaemia and osteopetrosis

    Osteopetrosis is a sclerosing bone disease and not part of the triad.

  • D. Vitamin C deficiency, scurvy and gingivitis

    Scurvy is a nutritional disease unrelated to the triad.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Orthopaedics question

What is the answer to this Orthopaedics question?

The best answer is A, Low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and low bone density. The female athlete triad is low energy availability with or without an eating disorder, menstrual dysfunction and low bone mineral density, and it predisposes to stress fractures.

Why is "Hypercalcaemia, hypothyroidism and obesity" not the answer?

These endocrine abnormalities do not describe the triad.

Why is "Anaemia, hyperprolactinaemia and osteopetrosis" not the answer?

Osteopetrosis is a sclerosing bone disease and not part of the triad.

Why is "Vitamin C deficiency, scurvy and gingivitis" not the answer?

Scurvy is a nutritional disease unrelated to the triad.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Sports injuries: female athlete triad in Orthopaedics. Management is nutritional restoration and reduced training load. Ignoring the cause leads to recurrent fractures.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Sports injuries: female athlete triad?

Pair each fracture with its classic complication and nerve injured. Then use the flashcards and the other Orthopaedics questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.