Return to Duty Following a Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy.

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Military Medicine
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Anterior knee pain is prevalent in military personnel, impacting operational readiness.
• Tibial tubercle osteotomy is a surgical option for specific anterior knee pain causes, with reported high return-to-activity rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term outcomes of tibial tubercle osteotomy in active duty service members.
• To determine the impact of concomitant procedures on retention in active duty following surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of active duty service members who underwent tibial tubercle osteotomy.
• Analysis of patient outcomes, including return to active duty and medical retirement status.
• Comparison of outcomes between patients with and without concomitant cartilaginous procedures.

Main Results:

• Nine out of thirteen (69%) patients remained on active duty at 1 year post-surgery.
• After 24 months, only four (31%) service members were still on active duty, with seven medically retired.
• Seventy-five percent of patients undergoing concomitant cartilaginous procedures were medically discharged.

Conclusions:

• A small proportion of active duty military personnel can return to active duty after tibial tubercle osteotomy.
• Concomitant cartilaginous procedures appear incompatible with long-term active duty retention due to high physical demands.