Tendinopathy prevalence in US military service members

Overuse musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs), including tendinopathies, are the most common types of MSKIs experienced by US active-duty military service members (ADSMs). There are limited granular tendinopathy prevalence data in military populations. Thus, we describe tendinopathy prevalence among ADSM and quantitatively compare tendinopathy prevalence by military and demographic factors.

A retrospective cohort study using the Medical Assessment and Readiness System database to identify tendinopathies among newly entering service members between January 2016 and December 2020 (n=2,456,739). All study procedures were exempted from institutional review board oversight. Prevalence ratios and 95% CIs not containing 1.00 were considered statistically significant.

A total of 37,434 service members were diagnosed with tendinopathy, representing a crude prevalence of 1.52%. The lower extremity was the most common site of tendinopathy, accounting for 80.33% of all cases, with the majority of diagnoses in the Army and Marines. Prevalence varied most by age, military career and service, with junior enlisted having higher rates of lower extremity tendinopathies. As military careers progressed from enlisted to officer, we noted proportionally more upper extremity diagnoses.

Tendinopathy remains a significant burden on the US military population. The lower extremity is the most commonly affected region, particularly in junior enlisted roles. The data highlight key trends related to age, military career and service branch, providing essential information to guide targeted prevention efforts and clinical interventions aimed at reducing the impact of these injuries.