Utility of a sports medicine model in military combat concussion and musculoskeletal restoration care.
Combat-related concussions are significant sources of injury and morbidity among deployed military service members. Musculoskeletal injury also is one of the most prevalent battle and nonbattle-related deployed injury types. Both injuries threaten the service member's physical condition as well as unit and mission readiness due to reduced duty status or evacuation from military theater of operations. In August 2010, the Concussion Restoration Care Center (CRCC) was established at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, to address the need for consistent and specialized evaluation and care of concussion and musculoskeletal injury. This performance improvement effort examined evaluation and treatment of concussion and musculoskeletal injury at the CRCC. Among 4,947 military personnel evaluated at the CRCC between August 2010 and May 2013, 97.9% were returned to duty and retained in theater. Members averaged 10 to 12 days of limited duty status to achieve complete recovery. Concussion injury was secondary to blast injury in 90% of cases. Sport/recreation, occupational, and other accidental injuries each represented 30% of the musculoskeletal injuries with only 10% reported as result of combat. The utilization patterns and outcome measures demonstrate the success and utility of a multidisciplinary clinical model of care for these two types of injuries in the far-forward deployed setting.
Captain James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center, 3001 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064.
Shawn P
SP
Spooner
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, 3698 Chambers Pass Ste B, JBSA FT Sam Houston, TX 78234-7767.
Stuart D
SD
Tyner
Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, 200 Mercy Circle, P.O. Box 555191, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5191.
Christopher
C
Sowers
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Jack
J
Tsao
Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, 200 Mercy Circle, P.O. Box 555191, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5191.
Keith
K
Stuessi
D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000346:Afghanistan; D000368:Aged; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000628:therapy; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000150:complications; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000293:injuries*; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000628:therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers; D014481:United States; D000067398:War-Related Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult