Hall Narelle, Constantinou Maria, Brown Mark, Beck Belinda, Kuys Suzanne
School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Banyo, QLD 4014, Australia.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Banyo, QLD 4014, Australia.
Mil Med. 2022 Jan 4;187(1-2):174-181. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab186.
Army recruit injuries occurring during basic training can lead to high personal and organizational burdens potentially threatening deployment capability. Previous military surveillance describing recruit injury as defined by physical therapy presentations is limited to 1-year duration or includes only male infantry recruits or trained personnel. Research describing injury incidence and trends specific to New Zealand Army basic training recruits over a longer period will better inform future injury prevention programs.
To identify the incidence and patterns of injuries reported from physical therapy presentations for New Zealand Army recruits undertaking basic training over a 4-year period.
This retrospective observational study identified injuries from physical therapy service presentations in New Zealand Army recruits from 2008 to 2011. All male and female New Zealand Army recruits who presented to physical therapy, following medical triage, were included. Recruit physical therapy presentations for injury and respiratory and other conditions were collated. Injury incidence was grouped by body region (upper limbs, lower limbs, and combined spinal regions) and site (joint or segment), and cumulative and injury incidence rates were calculated.
One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six (1,697 males and 199 females) New Zealand Army recruits commenced basic training between 2008 and 2011. One thousand six hundred and eighty-three physical therapy presentations occurred for recruit injury during New Zealand Army basic training over 4 years. Lower limb injuries accounted for over 75% (n = 1,285) of the overall demand for physical therapy service during recruit basic training. Injuries sustained at the knee and below accounted for 67% of all reported injury presentations.
Four years of injury surveillance using physical therapy presentations identified the lower limb, with the knee and below as the most commonly injured regions in New Zealand Army recruits. Injury prevention interventions for New Zealand Army recruits should aim to reduce lower limb injuries. Future research on injury surveillance would benefit from incorporating clear injury and severity definitions, established injury classification systems, and standardized incidence calculations.
新兵在基础训练期间受伤会给个人和组织带来沉重负担，可能威胁到部队的部署能力。以往关于新兵受伤情况的军事监测，是根据物理治疗就诊情况来界定的，其持续时间仅为1年，或者仅包括男性步兵新兵或已训练人员。关于新西兰陆军基础训练新兵在更长时间段内的受伤发生率及趋势的研究，将为未来的 injury prevention programs提供更好的信息。
确定在4年期间接受基础训练的新西兰陆军新兵因物理治疗就诊而报告的受伤发生率和模式。
这项回顾性观察研究确定了2008年至2011年新西兰陆军新兵因物理治疗服务就诊而导致的受伤情况。所有经医疗分诊后前往接受物理治疗的新西兰陆军男女新兵均被纳入。整理新兵因受伤以及呼吸和其他病症而进行物理治疗就诊的情况。受伤发生率按身体部位（上肢、下肢和脊柱联合部位）和部位（关节或节段）进行分组，并计算累积发生率和受伤发生率。
1896名（1697名男性和199名女性）新西兰陆军新兵在2008年至2011年期间开始基础训练。在4年的新西兰陆军基础训练期间，新兵因受伤进行了1683次物理治疗就诊。下肢受伤占新兵基础训练期间物理治疗服务总需求的75%以上（n = 1285）。膝盖及以下部位受伤占所有报告受伤就诊情况的67%。
通过物理治疗就诊情况进行的4年受伤监测表明，下肢是新西兰陆军新兵最常受伤的部位，膝盖及以下部位最为常见。针对新西兰陆军新兵的 injury prevention interventions应旨在减少下肢受伤情况。未来关于受伤监测的研究将受益于纳入明确的受伤和严重程度定义、既定的受伤分类系统以及标准化的发生率计算。
