Factors in Risk Prediction and Healing of Stress Fractures and Fatigue Damage in the Female Skeleton

摘要

The most important new conclusion of this report is that Army recruits with weak bones are more likely to have stress fractures during Basic Training. Recruits with weak bones can be identified prospectively by the same instrumentation used to quantitate osteoporotic fracture risk. We confirmed that less physically fit soldiers are more likely to have stress fracture. Recruits with poorer fitness tend to have weak bones. There are usually elements of self- selection by stronger persons for a lifestyle that results in better conditioning involved in this. We also confirmed that sex, age, race, and past smoking history are measurable risk factors. It seems likely that the Army could very efficiently: 1)measure fitness, 2) measure QUS, 3) record age, 4) query on smoking history. If they could stratify companies of persons with fitness and QUS one standard deviation below normal and over age 25 with a history of smoking, and give such persons a twelve week BT with a very gradual increase in activities, the Army would see reductions in stress fracture. Basic.