Sit-Up Related Injuries Reported to the U.S. Army Safety Center, 1980- 1998: A Case Series.

摘要

The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is a three-event test including timed sit-up and push-up tests and a 2-mile timed run. Anecdotal reports suggesting that the sit-up event may contribute to back or neck injury led to this investigation of the only known historical data on sit-up related injuries. This case series analysis describes all sit-up related injuries among active duty soldiers that occurred between 1980 and 1998 and were reported to the US army Safety Center (N = 57). Of these, 86% occurred to young men, 88% occurred on duty, and 98% occurred on a military installation. Approximately 80% of the injuries affected the back or neck. Nearly half occurred during the APFT (44%), and approximately 75% of the soldiers who sustained sit-up related injuries experienced an immediate onset of symptoms. Twelve percent of the soldiers in our case series who experienced a sit-up related injury also had a prior injury, most typically of the back, neck, or shoulder. Notwithstanding the limitations of these data, this report confirms what is known in a general sense about sit- up related injuries and offers direction for further research.