Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Return to Full Duty in a Military Population After a Recent Injury: Differences Between Lower-Extremity and Spine Injuries

• Main Authors: Daniel I. Rhon, P.T., D.Sc., Ph.D (Author), Deydre S. Teyhen, P.T., Ph.D (Author), Kyle Kiesel, P.T., Ph.D (Author), Scott W. Shaffer, P.T., Ph.D (Author), Stephen L. Goffar, P.T., Ph.D (Author), Tina A. Greenlee, Ph.D (Author), Phillip J. Plisky, P.T., D.Sc (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Elsevier, 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Purpose: To compare readiness to return to duty in soldiers following recent lower-extremity versus spine injury. The secondary purposes were to provide normative data for the Selective Functional Movement Assessment Top Tier movements (SFMA-TTM) and assess the association between SFMA-TTM scores and future injury occurrence, comparing injuries of the lower extremity and thoracic/lumbar spine. Methods: SFMA was rated by trained assessors on 480 U.S. Army soldiers within 2 weeks of being cleared to return to duty after recent lower-extremity or lumbar/thoracic injury. Participants were followed for 1 year to determine incidence of subsequent time-loss injury. Results: Only 74.4% of soldiers felt 100% mission capable when returning to full duty (73.6% lower-extremity; 76.5% spine). After 1 year, 37.9% had sustained a time-loss injury, and pain with movement at baseline was associated with higher odds for having an injury (odd ratio 1.53 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.24; P = .032). Almost all (99.8%) had at least 1 dysfunctional pattern, and 44.1% had pain with at least 1 movement (40.3% with previous lower-extremity injury; 54.6% with previous spine injury) after being cleared to return to duty. Conclusions: One in four patients did not feel 100% mission capable upon being cleared for full duty. Pain with movement was also associated with future injury. Regardless of recent injury type, 99.8% of soldiers returned to full unrestricted duty with at least 1dysfunctional movement pattern and 44.1% had pain with at least 1 of the SFMA-TTM movements. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative cohort study.

Item Description

2666-061X
10.1016/j.asmr.2021.09.028