Return to Full Duty After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery in Military Personnel: A Meta-Analysis

Return to Full Duty After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery in Military Personnel: A Meta-Analysis

Francisco Kiko Espi Escriva, MD, SPAIN Vicente Marquina Moraleda, MD, SPAIN Gema Maria Gastaldi Llorens, MD, SPAIN Rafael Colomina Rodriguez, MD, SPAIN

hospital general universitario , Valencia, Valencia, SPAIN


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Anatomic Location

Anatomic Structure

Diagnosis / Condition

Treatment / Technique

Ligaments

ACL

Patient Populations

Diagnosis Method

MRI

Sports Medicine


Summary: Return to full duty after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery in military personnel


Objective

A meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the clinical-functional results of anterior cruciate ligament surgery in military population, as well as the complications associated with it.

Material And Method

Three major database sources up to December 2022 (PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect) were searched for outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament surgery in military personnel. The systematic review was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses -PRISMA- standards, and the inclusion criteria following the PICO strategy. Data from included studies were analyzed using Review Manager 5.4 software.

Results

A total of 7 retrospective studies were selected. The general rate of return to full duty in military personnel was 62.3% (61.5% for the non-officer group vs. 68.3% for the officer group) without this difference being significant (p = 0.92). The general rate of meniscal injury in the military was 58.8%, without this difference being significant (p = 0.88). The homogeneity in both cases was good (I2 = 0%, p = 0.99).

Conclusion

Return to full military duty can be used in the military population as a marker of success after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. It should be noted that a large number of military personnel experience permanent activity limitations that prevent full return to service.