Hip pains in a recreational runner.

A 29 year old female recreational runner presented with two separate episodes of hip pain. The first, affecting the right hip was an uncommon cause of hip pain--an osteoid osteoma. The second, affecting the left hip was a more predictable cause of hip pain in a runner--a femoral stress fracture. Management of the subsequent stress fracture enabled more detailed and prolonged observation of the natural history and clinical course of the osteoid osteoma. The presentation and management of each of the conditions is discussed.