The Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) Organization - Focusing on Readiness and Resilience to Enhance Military Medicine — MHSRS 2021

Isaacson B, Wagner L, West S, Lucio W, Dalgarno R, Johnston S, Fowler A, Mehta K, Yuan X, Pasquina P, Hager N

Abstract submitted to Military Health System Research Symposium 2021

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) affect approximately 800,000 Service Members annually and result in 25 million limited duty days. These conditions are the primary reasons for medical discharge and downgrade, and result in 34% of evacuations from theatre. Most concerning is that the disability discharge rate for MSI increased 13x between 1981 and 2005 (70 vs. 950 per 100,000 persons). The alarming increase of MSI has also been observed in the general population, with an estimated 126.6 million Americans (one in every two adults) affected by a musculoskeletal condition – comparable to the total percentage of Americans living with a chronic lung or heart condition and costing an estimated $213 billion. Given the strict requirements for physical fitness in the military and the impact of MSI on combat readiness, the Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) organization was established in 2019 to advance the treatment and preventive care for Service Members with non-combat related MSI.