Abstract
A retrospective review of all patients presenting to the multinational integrated medical unit at Sipovo in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the period 1 June 2000 to 30 November 2000 was carried out. During this 6-month period, 203 new patients presented to the orthopaedic surgeon; these patients form the basis of this study. Of the 203 patients, 54 (26.6%) presented with chronic problems, but of these 18 (33.3%) had been exacerbated by sporting activities during the tour. The remaining 149 (73.4%) presented with acute problems, and of these sports injury was the most common cause. Traffic accidents, military training injuries, non-specific trauma (falls, crush injures etc) and acute orthopaedic problems such as sciatica accounted for the remainder of the causes. These data are presented in table 1.
Football was again the most common cause of injury accounting for 34.4% of all sporting injuries, and the lower limb, particularly the ankle, was the most common site of injury. The wisdom of allowing this sport, during operational tours, must be questioned. Only 5 (8.2%) of the patients presenting with sports injuries were discharged straight back to full duties. The majority (70.5%) received light duties (mean 14.4 days), but 13 patients (21.3%) required admission to hospital of which 9 were subsequently evacuated out of theatre.
The total number of patients used for this review was 203 of which 13 were trauma from traffic accidents, 61 were sporting injuries, 7 from military training, 52 were non specific trauma, 11, the cause was not recorded, 5 were acute non traumatic orthopedic problems, 18 were chronic and exacerbated by sport and 36 were not related to sport at all.
The abstracts were prepared by Wing Commander T. P. S. Bhullar. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit, Edith Cavell Hospital, Bretton Gate, Peterborough PE3 9GZ.
