Incidence of Major Tendon Ruptures and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in US Army Soldiers

Abstract

Background Although a rare event, the prevalence of major tendon rupture has increased in recent decades. Identification of risk factors is important for prevention purposes. Hypothesis Race is a risk factor for major tendon ruptures. Study Design Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2. Methods All patients admitted for surgical management of a rupture of a major tendon at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1995 and 1996 were identified and evaluated for risk factors. Results The authors identified 52 major tendon ruptures 29 Achilles, 12 patellar, 7 pectoralis major, and 4 quadriceps tendon ruptures. All patients were active-duty soldiers, and 1 was a female soldier. Forty-one tendon ruptures occurred among black soldiers, 8 occurred among white soldiers, and 3 occurred among Latino soldiers. The population at risk included 93 224 exposures during the 2-year period, of which 67.1% were white, 24.5% were black, and 8.4% were self-classified as other race. The rate ratio for tendon rupture, adjusted for gender and age, was 13.3 (95% confidence interval, 6.2-28.5) between blacks and whites and 2.9 (95% confidence interval, 0.8-10.9) between Latinos and whites. Conclusion The rate of major tendon rupture was 13 times greater for black men in this study population when compared with whites. Interventions among those at a higher risk for injury should be considered.