Arthroscopic surgery of the knee on the U.S. Naval Hospital Ships during Operation Desert Shield

Between September 1990 and January 1991, while deployed to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield, 118 patients underwent arthroscopic surgery of the knee on the U.S. Naval Hospital Ships USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort. There were 113 men and 5 women, with an average age of 28 years (range, 19-59 years). The most common findings at the time of arthroscopy were meniscus tears (53%), anterior cruciate ligament tears (29%), and normal arthroscopic examinations (9%). There were three complications, two hemarthroses and one superficial portal site infection. Seventy patients (59%) were able to be returned to duty at an average of 6 days post-operatively, obviating the need to evacuate these patients out of the Middle East theater to Europe or the United States, thus avoiding additional delay, expense, and loss of the service member to his military unit.