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Overuse injuries in female infantry recruits during low-intensity basic training
Aharon Finestone1, Charles Milgrom, Rachel Evans
1Orthopaedic Department, The Foot and Ankle Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zeriffin, Israel.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|October 14, 2008
Summary
Female recruits in light infantry training experienced a 12% stress fracture incidence, unlike males. Lower body mass index was identified as a key risk factor for these overuse injuries in women.
Area of Science:
- Military medicine
- Sports medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Overuse injuries are common in military training.
- Identifying risk factors is crucial for injury prevention.
- New light infantry training aimed to reduce overuse injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate overuse injury epidemiology in new light infantry training.
- Identify risk factors for stress fractures in male and female recruits.
- Compare injury incidence between sexes under new training protocols.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of male and female recruits in 16-week light infantry training.
- Included a control group of non-combat female medics for baseline comparison.
- Assessed pretraining history, anthropometrics, and followed recruits for injuries, diagnosing stress fractures via radiography or scintigraphy.
Main Results:
- 12% stress fracture incidence in female recruits versus 0% in males and controls (P=0.03).
- Lower mean body mass index (19.2 vs 22.5 kg/m²) in female recruits with stress fractures (P=0.02).
- No significant difference in other overuse injuries; trend for more back pain in females (P=0.07).
Conclusions:
- Lower body mass index is a significant risk factor for stress fractures in female recruits.
- The findings suggest potential intrinsic differences in bone fatigue resistance between sexes.
- Further research is needed to explain the sex-based disparity in stress fracture incidence.
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