The cumulative effect of carrying heavy packs and body armor, performing strength training and enduring combat injuries are taking their toll on the young bodies of American soldiers. A new research study published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism found that military personnel are experiencing considerably higher rates of arthritis than the rest of the U.S. population.

 

Over a 10-year period (1998-2008), more than 108,000 cases of mechanical degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis, were diagnosed by military doctors. Among soldiers aged 20-24, osteoarthritis rates were 26% higher than in the general population, and troops older than 40 were more than twice as likely to develop arthritis as civilians.

 

Battlefield injuries, including broken bones from gunshots and explosions, can lead to osteoarthritis. Whereas athletes usually develop the condition about ten years after an injury, blast victims are often struck with osteoarthritis after only two years because a blast can destroy cartilage cells which cannot be replaced.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Rigors of War Leave Troops Battling Arthritis at a Young Age (by Seth Robbins, Stars & Stripes)

Osteoarthritis Incidence Higher Among Military Personnel (Wiley-Blackwell)