How “Return to Duty” Is Reported, Defined and Measured After Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Scoping Review of the Literature

At the forefront of military medical readiness is the problem of musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs). MSKIs disrupt training, interfere with deployability, impact longevity of military careers, contribute to substantial financial burden, and limit force capabilities. To better inform all of the research directed towards prevention and optimization of treatment and recovery, it is important to understand how research across all services defines return to duty following MSKI. The goal of this project is to execute a scoping review of the literature that describes how “return to duty” is being reported, defined and measured in studies of military servicemembers after they sustain MSKIs. The review will gather definitions of “return to duty” and examine the different proxies of medical readiness that are used to measure return to duty after MSKI. The final product will describe the variability in reporting of this construct, reveal how it has been measured, and allow for development of a strategy for systematic reporting of return to duty outcomes in future literature.