Injuries Associated With Mandated Wear of Body Armor in Iraq
Required wear of BA was associated with an increase in MSK visits across all types of US SMs. Shoulder and back injuries were the most common with a significant increase in visits to physical therapy in the BA group. Anti-inflammatory and muscle-relaxing medications were prescribed more frequently in the BA group. A dedicated prospective study would help better elucidate the causality of these associations. Risk-benefit analysis of threat posture, with the knowledge of these health care associations, deserves serious consideration.
Authors
- Jason S. Radowsky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0316-9907)
- José Fernando García Pérez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3953-8364)
- Christopher Mitchell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2387-2026)
- John Kuckelman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3635-8023)
- R. G. H. Wallace
- Travis Breazeale
Institutions
- Eisenhower Medical Center (US)
- Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (US)
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (US)
- Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Military Medicine
- Published
- 2024-11-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usae529
- Primary Topic
- Occupational Health and Performance
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00