Causation and pattern of knee injuries in saudimilitary personnel – a multicenter retrospective analysis

Knee injuries are a major health concern for military personnel seeking to return to activeduty. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research about the incidence and causative factors associated with knee injuries among active-duty military personnel in Saudi Arabia. This retrospective cohort research aimed to start group studies on the incidence of knee injuries among active military personnel in Saudi Arabia.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the causative factors associated with this injury and pattern of its involvement. This study included data of 2230 patients aged 18 to 60 years with knee injuries, with mean age of 42.73 SD ±16.343. Data was collected from nine of the Saudi military hospitals in a period of six years (2010-2016) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression models.
The frequency distribution showed that cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL) were the most commonly affected structures in knee injuries (45.2%), followed by menisci (24.9%) and internal derangement (10.1%) with incidence rate 4.57, 0.25, and 0.10, respectively. Sports and military exercise-related injuries were found to be the most significant causative factors involved in all knee injuries (30.5%), followed by non-military accidental injuries at 25% (p = 0.000).
This study found that cruciate ligament injuries followed by meniscus injuries were the most common knee injuries among Saudi active-duty personnel. Sports and military exercises were found most common causes for knee injuries. Injuries negatively impacted productivity and military training as these prevent military personnel from being ready for military service due to treatment and recovery.
More research is needed on time spent in rehabilitation away from active service as a result of the cruciate ligament injuries that need time to return to daily activities.