What is shortening of a metatarsal stress fracture on a CT scan?

I get lots of calls from runners who need a second opinion for running injuries like metatarsal stress fractures.  Many times they are confused by medical terminology in their imaging reports. 

In this particular case, the runner wanted to know what it meant when her radiology report said that there was "5 millimeters of shortening of the second metatarsal bone," the bone that had the stress fracture. 

In this episode, I am going to explain what fracture "shortening" really means and how it shows up on a CT scan. 

What exactly is shortening of a fracture when it shows up on a CT scan? 

Well, that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.