A Fabricated Foot Fracture Caused by Deliberate Placement of an External Osseous Fragment: A Case Report.
5 affiliations
- 1Orthopaedics, Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Amman, JOR.
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, JOR.
- 3Orthopaedic Surgery, Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Amman, JOR.
- 4Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Ministry of Health, Amman, JOR.
- 5Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Jordanian Royal Medical Services, Irbid, JOR.
Abstract
Accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal injuries requires correlation between clinical and radiological findings. Although plain radiographs are essential for fracture assessment, external objects may mimic osseous pathology and lead to misdiagnosis. We present an unusual case of a fabricated foot fracture caused by deliberate placement of an external osseous fragment for secondary gain. A 23-year-old previously healthy man presented with left foot pain and inability to bear weight following a reported low-energy fall at his military base. Initial radiographs demonstrated an apparent osseous fragment adjacent to the first metatarsal, provisionally interpreted as a fracture, and the patient was treated with below-knee cast immobilization. On follow-up, repeat radiographs showed an unexpected change in the fragment's position. Computed tomography demonstrated that the fragment was external to the foot and embedded within the cast material, with no true fracture. During supervised repeat radiography, the patient was observed deliberately positioning the fragment adjacent to the foot and subsequently admitted to fabricating the injury to obtain sick leave. Discrepancies between clinical findings and serial radiographs should prompt careful reassessment and consideration of external artifacts. Recognition of unexpected changes in the position of an apparent fracture fragment may prevent unnecessary immobilization, investigations, and treatment, particularly when secondary gain is suspected.
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BibTeX
@article{hseinat2026fabricated,
title = {{A Fabricated Foot Fracture Caused by Deliberate Placement of an External Osseous Fragment: A Case Report.}},
author = {Laith Hseinat and Majdala Al-Bataineh and Hamza A Abu-Ain and Refat AlRawashdeh and Qais Sharayah and Fayiz Samarah and Mutaz Jaloody and Qusai Alqarqaz and Ashraf Albadaineh and Mahmoud Sbaihat},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.117100},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953889},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A Fabricated Foot Fracture Caused by Deliberate Placement of an External Osseous Fragment: A Case Report.
AU - Laith Hseinat
AU - Majdala Al-Bataineh
AU - Hamza A Abu-Ain
AU - Refat AlRawashdeh
AU - Qais Sharayah
AU - Fayiz Samarah
AU - Mutaz Jaloody
AU - Qusai Alqarqaz
AU - Ashraf Albadaineh
AU - Mahmoud Sbaihat
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.117100
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953889
AB - Accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal injuries requires correlation between clinical and radiological findings. Although plain radiographs are essential for fracture assessment, external objects may mimic osseous pathology and lead to misdiagnosis. We present an unusual case of a fabricated foot fracture caused by deliberate placement of an external osseous fragment for secondary gain. A 23-year-old previously healthy man presented with left foot pain and inability to bear weight following a reported low-energy fall at his military base. Initial radiographs demonstrated an apparent osseous fragment adjacent to the first metatarsal, provisionally interpreted as a fracture, and the patient was treated with below-knee cast immobilization. On follow-up, repeat radiographs showed an unexpected change in the fragment's position. Computed tomography demonstrated that the fragment was external to the foot and embedded within the cast material, with no true fracture. During supervised repeat radiography, the patient was observed deliberately positioning the fragment adjacent to the foot and subsequently admitted to fabricating the injury to obtain sick leave. Discrepancies between clinical findings and serial radiographs should prompt careful reassessment and consideration of external artifacts. Recognition of unexpected changes in the position of an apparent fracture fragment may prevent unnecessary immobilization, investigations, and treatment, particularly when secondary gain is suspected.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -