The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program Reduces Musculoskeletal Injuries in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Journal Article (Journal Article)
UNLABELLED: The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program (ETAP) was scientifically developed for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to counter unintentional musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). PURPOSE: To determine if ETAP would reduce unintentional MSIs in a group of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Soldiers. METHODS: ETAP-trained noncommissioned led physical training. 1,720 Soldiers were enrolled (N = 1,136 experimental group [EXP], N = 584 control group [CON]) with injuries tracked before and after initiation of ETAP. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were analyzed and described the anatomic locations, anatomic sub-locations, onset, and injury types. McNemar tests compared the proportions of injured subjects within each group. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the proportion of Soldiers with preventable MSIs in the EXP (pre: 213/1,136 (18.8%), post: 180/1,136 (15.8%), p = 0.041) but not in the CON. In addition, there was a significant reduction in stress fractures in the EXP (pre: 14/1,136 (1.2%), post: 5/1,136 (0.4%), p = 0.022) but no significant differences in the CON. CONCLUSION: The current analysis demonstrated that ETAP reduces preventable MSIs in garrison. The capability of ETAP to reduce injuries confirms the vital role of a scientifically designed training program on force readiness and health.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Sell, TC; Abt, JP; Nagai, T; Deluzio, JB; Lovalekar, M; Wirt, MD; Lephart, SM
Published Date
- March 2016
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 181 / 3
Start / End Page
- 250 - 257
PubMed ID
- 26926750
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1930-613X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00674
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- England