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Disability Associated with Musculoskeletal Injuries

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Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Military

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Abstract

Musculoskeletal-related injuries and disabling conditions represent the fastest-growing subset of military disability claims over the last 30 years. From 1981 to 2005, the number of disabling conditions related to the musculoskeletal system increased from 70/100,000 persons to 950/100,000 persons for those exiting the military (The changing profile of disability in the U.S. Army: 1981–2005. Disabil Health J 1(1):14–24, 2008). While there are many factors, such as an increase in combat missions or an increasing recognition of disabling conditions, that may account for this increase, recent analysis has shown that the almost 12-fold increase in musculoskeletal disability claims is coming largely from young, enlisted servicemen and servicewomen with lower levels of education (The changing profile of disability in the U.S. Army: 1981–2005. Disabil Health J 1(1):14–24, 2008). These disabling conditions require a disproportionately large amount of resources to care for (Knee adduction moment, serum hyaluronan level, and disease severity in medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 41(7):1233–40, 1998; Resource utilization and disability outcome assessment of combat casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. J Orthop Trauma 23(4):261–6, 2009; Evaluating the predictive value of osteoarthritis diagnoses in an administrative database. Arthritis Rheum 43(8):1881–5, 2000), and it is imperative to have a basic understanding of these ailments to develop and implement effective injury prevention strategies and to optimize the care provided to these patients (An update on the relationship between occupational factors and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Curr Opin Rheumatol 14(2):89–92, 2002). This chapter discusses the burden of disability associated with some of the more common musculoskeletal injuries and conditions seen within the military.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, USA

    Chad A. Krueger MD

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA

    James R. Ficke MD

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  1. Chad A. Krueger MD
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  2. James R. Ficke MD
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Correspondence to James R. Ficke MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Keller Army Hospital, West Point, New York, USA

    Kenneth L. Cameron

  2. Keller Army Hospital, West Point, New York, USA

    Brett D. Owens

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Krueger, C., Ficke, J. (2016). Disability Associated with Musculoskeletal Injuries. In: Cameron, K., Owens, B. (eds) Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Military. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2984-9_6

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