Description and Rate of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Air Force Basic Military Trainees, 2012-2014

Abstract

Context: Musculoskeletal injuries are common in military trainees and have significant medical and operational effects.

Objective: To provide current musculoskeletal injury epidemiology data for US Air Force basic military trainees.

Design: Descriptive epidemiologic study with cross-sectional features.

Setting: US Air Force Basic Military Training, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

Patients or other participants: All recruits who entered training between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2014.

Main outcome measure(s): Incidence density rate of all musculoskeletal injuries (stratified by body region and type) and factors and costs associated with injuries.

Results: Of the 67 525 trainees, 12.5% sustained 1 or more musculoskeletal injuries. The overall incidence density rate was 18.3 injuries per 1000 person-weeks (15.1 for men and 29.4 for women). The most common diagnosis (n = 2984) was Pain in joint, lower leg, as described in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, code 719.46. Injuries were more common among those with lower levels of baseline aerobic and muscular fitness. Injured trainees were 3.01 times (95% confidence interval = 2.85, 3.18) as likely to be discharged, and injured trainees who did graduate were 2.88 times (95% confidence interval = 2.72, 3.04) as likely to graduate late. During the surveillance period, injuries resulted in more than $43.7 million in medical ($8.7 million) and nonmedical ($35 million) costs.

Conclusions: Musculoskeletal injuries, predominantly of the lower extremities, have significant fiscal and operational effects on Air Force Basic Military Training. Further research into prevention and early rehabilitation of these injuries in military trainees is warranted.

Keywords: injury epidemiology; physical fitness; warrior athletes.