Descriptive Profile of Upper Limb Injuries in a Specialized Police Intervention Unit: A Retrospective Study

Police work is associated with high physical demands and an increased risk of occupational injury, particularly among specialized tactical units exposed to intense operational activity. Musculoskeletal injuries are common in law enforcement personnel and frequently result in work incapacity, but data specifically addressing upper limb injuries in intervention units remain limited. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical profile of upper limb injuries reported as duty-related accidents in a Portuguese police intervention unit and to analyze their association with surgical treatment and the duration of work incapacity.

A retrospective observational study was conducted, including all upper limb injury events reported between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2025, in a specialized unit of the Portuguese Public Security Police Intervention Corps. Data were obtained from the official injury registry. Variables included age, police rank, anatomical location, injury presentation, diagnosis category, need for surgical treatment, and duration of temporary total work incapacity. Analyses were performed at the event level. Comparisons were performed using Welch's t-test, the exact Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, and Kendall's τ_b correlation coefficient.

A total of 54 injury events were analyzed, of which 27 (50.0%) resulted in temporary total work incapacity. The shoulder was the most frequently affected site, with 15 (27.8%) injuries, followed by fingers with 12 (22.2%) and hand with nine (16.7%). Superficial soft-tissue injuries were the most common diagnosis, occurring in 18 (33.3%), followed by fractures in 10 (18.5%). Surgical treatment was required in eight (14.8%) events and was associated with longer incapacity duration compared with conservative treatment (Z = -3.88, p < 0.01). The median duration of incapacity among events with sick leave was 90 days (31-151). No significant association was found between age and sick leave or duration of incapacity (p = 0.285 and 0.267, respectively). Injuries involving the arm and shoulder showed the longest incapacity periods.

Upper limb injuries in this specialized police unit frequently resulted in work incapacity, with surgical treatment and proximal upper limb injuries associated with longer recovery time. These findings highlight the burden of musculoskeletal injuries in tactical law enforcement personnel and emphasize the need for further research to better inform prevention and rehabilitation strategies.