• Marco Campello, Hope C Mowery, Gregg Ziemke, Cheongeun Oh, Timothy Hope, Brittany Jansen, and Sherri Weiser.
• Department of Orthopedics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
• Mil Med. 2024 Aug 19; 189 (Suppl 3): 624627624-627.

IntroductionMusculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) pose a significant problem for active duty service members (ADSMs). MSIs may compromise readiness and are one of the main reasons for separation from the Navy and long-term disability. Implementation of optimal treatment strategies rests on understanding the characteristics of MSI complaints in a given population. This study reports on the frequency and nature of MSI complaints of ADSMs seeking care at a military treatment facility (MTF).Materials And MethodsAs part of a larger quasi-experimental study, data on MSIs from ADSMs reporting to an MTF were collected. Subjects completed a baseline questionnaire during an initial evaluation, including the self-reported MSIs for which participants were seeking care, time since onset, and other MSI comorbidities.ResultsOf the 289 respondents, 118 (41%) were female and 172 (59%) were male. The mean age was 33 years (SD = 8). The most frequently reported injury was low-back pain (n = 79, 27%), followed by knee pain (n = 60, 21%) and shoulder pain (n = 55, 19%). Thirty-four (12%) respondents reported injuries to the ankle or foot. The remaining respondents (21%) reported injuries to the neck, mid-back, arm or hand, hip, or other. Sixty-five (22%) reported an acute/subacute injury of less than 3 months, whereas 224 (78%) reported chronic injury >3 months. Furthermore, MSI comorbidities were reported by 233 (80%) of respondents with 128 of those reporting more than one.ConclusionsBack and knee injuries were most prevalent in ADSMs reporting an MSI at a Navy shore-based MTF. Shoulder injuries were also common. Of interest, 80% of ADSMs reported at least one MSI comorbidity and 80% reported chronic injury in this study. These rates are higher than those found in a previous study of ADSMs deployed on a carrier. This is notable because chronicity and multiple MSIs are obstacles to readiness. Our findings suggest that ADSMs reporting to shore-based facilities may be at higher risk for disability than their deployed counterparts. This information is important to the development of targeted care to improve readiness in this population.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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