Update: Osteoarthritis and spondylosis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010-2015

During the 6-year surveillance period, a total of 56,935 incident diagnoses of osteoarthritis (OA) and 60,968 incident diagnoses of spondylosis were identified. Age-specific rates of OA and spondylosis increased markedly with age and were higher among Army members and those in armor/motor transport occupations, compared to their respective counterparts. Among service members aged 25 years or older, the rate of OA overall was higher among black, non-Hispanic than other race/ethnicity group members, and the rate of shoulder OA was higher among males than females. Among service members aged 35 years or older, rates of OA of the knee and pelvic region/thigh were higher among females than males. Age-specific rates of spondylosis were generally higher among white, non-Hispanic than other race/ethnicity group members. Crude overall incidence rates of spondylosis were generally similar between sexes for all anatomical locations except the cervical region (20% higher for females than males). Findings suggest a need for additional research to identify military-specific equipment and activities that increase risk of acute and chronic damage to joints.