Talbot M, Pullman L, Sokolov M, Reilly T, Russell R, Dion CA, Théoret D, Slobogean G. Are military fitness tests safe for members with a total hip arthroplasty?
BMJ Mil Health 2024:e002461. [PMID:
38124226 DOI:
10.1136/military-2023-002461]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members must complete an annual fitness evaluation. Members with a total hip arthroplasty (THA) may be at risk of injury during these strenuous tests. To inform CAF policy, we sought expert consensus on the safety of fitness testing for members with a THA.
METHODS
We conducted a three-round Delphi study with a panel of hip arthroplasty experts to determine the safety of CAF operational fitness evaluations for members with a THA. The experts evaluated videos of the 10 individual tasks included in the evaluations.
RESULTS
All individual tasks were judged to be safe by consensus. One task, which involves digging with a shovel, was considered safe provided that participants avoid deep hip flexion. The nine other tasks were judged to be safe without modifications or interventions. The experts also supported a policy recommendation that would allow members to perform military fitness evaluations if they (1) have a primary THA, (2) had no episodes of instability, (3) are at least 12 months postoperatively and (4) have been cleared by an orthopaedic surgeon and a physiatrist/physiotherapist.
CONCLUSION
A panel of arthroplasty experts concluded, based on video analysis, that CAF fitness evaluations are generally safe for members with a THA.
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