Recent sports headlines have been humming with reports of Joel Embiid having surgery for a stress fracure in his foot. Joel Embiid was thought to be a top draft pick for the NBA this year, but a recent physical found a stress fracture in his foot that will take months to recover from. Patient's who have read this story have been concerned that they will also need surgery for their stress fractures. Rest assured, that not all stress fractures require surgery. In fact, with proper treatment, most stress fracture will heal with some combination of a cast, boot, or crutches. What makes Joel's injury different? Well, for starters, he's a professional athlete. Embiid will need to get back to training as soon as possible. For this reason alone, his physicians will want the fracture site to be as stable as possible. Second, he's 7 feet tall and weighs 240lbs. His height and weight alone equate to extra stress on his feet and will need the fracture site as stable as possible. How did Embiid fracture his foot? Stress fractures usually occur because of either: decreased bone strength or increased repetitive force on the bones. Embiid's height and career both add up to a lot of strain on his feet. Stay tuned for a more in depth discussion of stress fractures next time.