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A novel assessment for Readiness Evaluation during Simulated Dismounted Operations: A reliability study
Christopher A Rábago1,2,3, Riley C Sheehan1,3,4, Kelly A Schmidtbauer1,2,3
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for the Intrepid, Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Plos One
|December 31, 2019
Summary
The Readiness Evaluation during Simulated Dismounted Operations (REDOp) is a reliable assessment for Service Members, accurately measuring activity tolerance, gait stability, and shooting performance to identify injury-related deficits.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Service Members require robust assessments to evaluate physical readiness.
- Simulated dismounted operations present unique challenges to physical performance.
- Ecologically-based assessments are crucial for capturing real-world functional limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the intersession reliability of the Readiness Evaluation during Simulated Dismounted Operations (REDOp).
- To determine minimal detectable change and normative reference values for the REDOp.
- To assess the REDOp's capacity to differentiate performance between able-bodied and injured Service Members.
Main Methods:
- A repeated measures design with between-group comparisons was employed.
- Participants included able-bodied (n=32) and lower extremity injured (n=22) Service Members.
- The REDOp involved variable terrain walking, target engagement, and gear carriage.
Main Results:
- The REDOp demonstrated high intersession reliability for distance traveled (ICC=0.91) and stability measures (ICC=0.78-0.93).
- Injured Service Members showed significantly reduced distance traveled (0.89 km vs. 2.73 km, p<0.001) and impaired gait stability.
- Endurance and pain were identified as primary performance limiters.
Conclusions:
- The REDOp is a highly reliable and military-relevant assessment tool.
- It effectively measures performance across activity tolerance, gait stability, and shooting domains.
- The REDOp can identify performance deficits in Service Members, particularly those with lower extremity injuries.
