Skip to main content

Military Health System

Surveillance Snapshot: Medical Separation from Service Among Incident Cases of Osteoarthritis and Spondylosis, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016–2020

Image of Cover 5. Cover 5

Recommended Content:

Medical Surveillance Monthly Report

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common adult joint disease and predominantly involves the weight-bearing joints.1 This condition, including spondylosis (OA of the spine), results in significant disability and resource utilization and is a leading cause of medical separation from military service.2 A recent MSMR analysis described the incidence of OA and spondylosis diagnoses among active component service members of the U.S. Armed Forces from 2016 through 2020.3 During the 5-year surveillance period, crude overall rates of incident OA and spondylosis diagnoses were 630.9 per 100,000 person-years (p-yrs) and 958.2 per 100,000 p-yrs, respectively.3 Anatomic site-specific rates of OA varied by sex, race/ethnicity group, service, and military occupation.3

In this analysis, the numbers and percentages of incident cases of OA and/or spondylosis with a medical separation after the incident diagnosis (through 31 July 2021) were stratified by selected demographic and military characteristics. Separations from service were categorized as having been for medical reasons using interservice separation (ISC) codes (1010, 1011, 1012, 1013, 1014, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).

Among a total of 94,036 unique individuals who qualified as incident cases of OA and/or spondylosis during 2016–2020, 17.9% (n=16,819) were medically separated from service by July 31, 2021 (data not shown). The median time from incident OA and/or spondylosis diagnosis and separation from military service was 430 days (mean=506 days) (data not shown). Median times to separation were broadly similar by demographic characteristics (sex, age group, and race/ethnicity group) with more pronounced differences apparent by service; the median time to separation was lowest for Army and Marine Corps members (392 days and 447 days, respectively) and highest for Air Force members (553 days) (data not shown). The percentages of incident cases aged 34 years or younger (range=23.3%–36.5%) who were medically separated were higher than the percentages among those aged 35 or older (range=5.9%–12.2%) (Figure). Army members with incident diagnoses of OA and/or spondylosis were more likely to be medically separated compared to their respective counterparts in the other services.

References

1. Abramoff B, Caldera FE. Osteoarthritis: Pathology, diagnosis, and treatment options. Med Clin North Am. 2020;104(2):293–311.

2. Patzkowski JC, Rivera JC, Ficke JR, Wenke JC. The changing face of disability in the US Army: the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom effect. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2012;20 (Suppl 1):S23.

3. Williams VF, Ying S, Stahlman S. Update: Osteoarthritis and spondylosis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016–2020. MSMR. 2021;28(12):2–13.

FIGURE. Percentages of service members with incident OA and/or spondylosis diagnoses during 2016–2020 who were medically separated from military service, active component, U.S. Armed Forces

You also may be interested in...

2018 #ColdReadiness Twitter chat recap: Preventing cold weather injuries for service members and their families

Fact Sheet
2/5/2018

To help protect U.S. armed forces, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB) hosted a live #ColdReadiness Twitter chat on Wednesday, January 24th, 12-1:30 pm EST to discuss what service members and their families need to know about winter safety and preventing cold weather injuries as the temperatures drop. This fact sheet documents highlights from the Twitter chat.

Recommended Content:

Medical Surveillance Monthly Report | Winter Safety | Medical and Dental Preventive Care Fitness | Health Readiness & Combat Support

Heat Illnesses by Location, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2012-2016 Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet
3/30/2017

This fact sheet provides details on heat illnesses by location during a five-year surveillance period from 2012 through 2016. 11,967 heat-related illnesses were diagnosed at more than 250 military installations and geographic locations worldwide. Three Army Installations accounted for close to one-third of all heat illnesses during the period.

Recommended Content:

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division | Medical Surveillance Monthly Report

Rhabdomyolysis by Location, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2012-2016 Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet
3/30/2017

This fact sheet provides details on Rhabdomyolysis by location for active component, U.S. Armed Forces during a five-year surveillance period from 2012 through 2016. The medical treatment facilities at nine installations diagnosed at least 50 cases each and, together approximately half (49.9%) of all diagnosed cases.

Recommended Content:

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division | Medical Surveillance Monthly Report

Demographic and Military Traits of Service Members Diagnosed as Traumatic Brain Injury Cases

Fact Sheet
3/30/2017

This fact sheet provides details on the demographic and military traits of service members diagnosed as traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases during a 16-year surveillance period from 2001 through 2016, a total of 276,858 active component service members received first-time diagnoses of TBI - a structural alteration of the brain or physiological disruption of brain function caused by an external force.

Recommended Content:

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division | Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
Showing results 1 - 4 Page 1 of 1
Refine your search
Last Updated: May 20, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery