Return to Preinjury Level of Military Duty After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Jordanian Military Personnel
Mohammad A. Yabroudi, Rowa Almomany, Zakariya H. Nawasreh, Almuthanna S. AlyamaniBackground:
Return to preinjury level of activity after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in the general population has been widely studied in the literature. However, the rate of return to military duty (RTMD) after ACLR is still not well determined. Furthermore, reasons for not returning to the preinjury level of military duty remain uncertain.
Purpose:
To determine (1) the rate of RTMD after ACLR and (2) factors associated with returning to the preinjury level of military duty after ACLR.
Study Design:
Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
Methods:
Patients who have served and/or are currently serving in the military and who underwent a primary ACLR and were within 1 to 5 years postoperatively were eligible to participate in the study. All participants completed a questionnaire that inquired about patients’ characteristics, including age, sex, tobacco usage, military rank, and preinjury military and physical activities. Return to preinjury level of military duty was determined by using a multidomain definition of RTMD that includes the type and frequency of military activities, as well as standing hours (defined as a continuous measure of total duration per duty day spent standing, walking, or moving). Individuals who did not return to their prior level of military duty were asked to report the reasons for not returning.
Results:
A total of 94 male military personnel with a mean age of 30.3 ± 5.7 years participated in the study. Only 11 (11.7%) individuals returned to their preinjury level of military duty using the authors’ comprehensive definition at a mean follow-up of 1.83 ± 0.76 years. Of the 94 participants, 51 (54.3%) returned to their preinjury standing hours, 32 (34.0%) to their preinjury type of military activity, and 30 (31.9%) to their preinjury frequency of military activity. Of those who did not RTMD, 83% reported fear of reinjury or lack of confidence as a reason for not returning, while 76% reported persistent knee problems.
Conclusion:
The rate of return to preinjury level of military duty in Jordanian military personnel after ACLR using a comprehensive definition for return to duty is only 11.7%. Fear of reinjury or lack of confidence in the injured knee and ongoing knee problems are the most commonly reported reasons for not returning to the prior level of military duty.