• Chao Sun, Chengjie Xiong, and Feng Xu.
• Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Central Theatre Command of PLA, Wuhan 430074, China.
• Mil Med. 2023 Jul 22; 188 (7-8): e1869e1873e1869-e1873.

IntroductionMusculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are common among U.N. military personnel and cause a substantial toll, but little is known about the actual risks and changes of MSIs. The Chinese level II hospital (CHN L2H) was the highest-level hospital in the Western Sector of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). This study reviewed and analyzed the MSIs managed by the CHN L2H in UNMISS.MethodsMedical records of MSIs in CHN L2H from September 2018 to July 2022 were identified. We analyzed all the MSIs and treatment procedures.ResultsA total of 857 patients from more than 40 countries were included (86.8% men, average age of 37.83 years), consisting of 457 troop-contributing country, 231 U.N. local, and 169 U.N. international personnel. The most common injury was lumbar muscle strain (14.2%). Sports-related mechanism (29.2%) was the most frequent cause of MSIs. The most significant proportions of anatomical regions were the lumbar spine (22.52%), hand (13.77%), and foot (10.97%). No-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (43.99%), physical therapy (20.54%), and immobilization (11.32%) were the most used treatments.ConclusionsMSIs are common diseases in the CHN L2H in the Western Sector of UNMISS. The universality and complexity of MSIs demonstrate the urgent need to improve prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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