Sports injuries in British troops deployed on Operation Resolute (Bosnia)

This study presents epidemiological data on sports injuries in deployed British troops in Bosnia, during the first five months of Operation Resolute. A retrospective analysis was carried out of sports injuries seen in one practice in the divisional rear area during April 1996. They account for a significant morbidity in deployed troops and are a major cause of manpower wastage and of medical repatriations. The continuous monitoring of sports injury should be a central part of the epidemiological surveillance of deployed troops. Their occurrence during operations can be minimised by judicious restrictions on those sports, such as football, which are known to have an adverse injury profile.