Q: My son is a 14-year-old basketball player who has developed pain over the last month on the outside of his foot. Originally he was able to keep playing but over the last week the pain has gotten bad enough that whenever he runs or jumps he has to stop playing. My family doctor took X-rays, which showed no fracture. He was told to rest it for a couple of weeks, as it might be a sprain.

My son does not want to give up playing basketball and wonders if this diagnosis is correct and what could he do to get back to sports sooner.

A: I recommend that you bring your son to an orthopedic surgeon or foot specialist for an evaluation.

About two-thirds of the time, an athlete can have a stress fracture ``microfracture'' of bone that does not show on the original X-rays. An MRI scan or bone scan may be necessary to establish a correct diagnosis. Depending upon which bone is involved, your son may require a period of rest, immobilization and, in a rare circumstance, surgery to correct the problem. He should not play sports until he is seen by a specialist.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is in private practice in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables, and serves as team physician for the Miami Heat and Miami Dade College, among others. The Jock Doc column runs every other week.

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