Injuries Associated With Mandated Wear of Body Armor in Iraq

Area of Science:

• Military medicine
• Occupational health
• Musculoskeletal injuries

Background:

• Protective ballistic body armor (BA) adds significant weight (35-45 lbs) for service members (SMs) during deployments.
• The impact of this extra weight on SMs and deployed medical resources is not well-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between required ballistic body armor (BA) wear and musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints.
• To characterize the manifestation of these effects within the deployed military healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 2,805 encounters at a Role III Field Hospital.
• Comparison of MSK injury visits between periods with BA required versus periods without BA requirement.
• Data included SM type, age, gender, MSK anatomy, provider type, disposition, and medications.

Main Results:

• MSK injuries accounted for 41.2% of all encounters.
• The BA group had significantly more MSK injury visits (44%) compared to the No-BA group (38%).
• SMs in the BA group were 12 times more likely to require physical therapy (60% vs. 5%) and had higher prescriptions for anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers.

Conclusions:

• Required BA wear is associated with increased MSK visits and healthcare utilization among US SMs.
• Shoulder and back injuries were most common, with a notable rise in physical therapy referrals in the BA group.
• Further prospective studies are needed to confirm causality, and risk-benefit analyses of BA use in threat postures should consider these health implications.