Name
#81 Healthcare Utilization Patterns Associated With Musculoskeletal Injury in the USMC
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
Navy
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care
Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the number of healthcare encounters per patients for MSKI in the U.S. Marine Corps.
2. Describe difference in MSKI healthcare utilization in male and female Marines based on occupation.
3. Describe the healthcare units that are most associated with MSKI healthcare encounters in the U.S. Marine Corps.
2. Describe difference in MSKI healthcare utilization in male and female Marines based on occupation.
3. Describe the healthcare units that are most associated with MSKI healthcare encounters in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Session Currently Live
Description
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are a significant burden to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and Military Health System (MHS), which ultimately threatens operational readiness. While the epidemiological patterns of MSKIs in the USMC have been previously reported, less information is available on the healthcare utilization associated with these injuries. Understanding the healthcare utilization associated with MSKI in both male and female Marines based on occupation may provide insights for resource allocation and strategies to enhance resiliency. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe MSKI healthcare utilization patterns in male and female Marines based on occupation. Study participants from the USMC were identified through the Career History Archival Medical and Personnel System. The research team queried medical encounter data from 2011 to 2020 in the MHS Data Repository. Data extracted included ICD-9/ICD-10 codes, sex, number of medical encounters, and category of military treatment facility. From 2011 to 2020, a total of 175,429 male and 28,612 female Marines were identified with MSKI. Across all occupations, females Marines averaged 11.0±17.0 medical encounters for MSKI compared with 6.8±12.7 for male Marines. When examining specific occupations, female Marines also averaged more medical encounters per MSKI compared with male Marines among all occupational categories, including combat (11.5 vs. 7.2), pilots (9.5 vs. 7.0), service (10.5 vs. 6.1), support (11.4 vs. 7.2), and wing support (11.5 vs. 6.7). The test for interaction between sex and combat occupation was not statistically significant, indicating that the sex difference in MSKI medical encounters was not greater among combat occupations than noncombat occupations. For male and female Marines, Rehabilitative Ambulatory Services (31.7%), Medical Care (19.5%), Orthopedic Care (16.4%), Primary Medical Care (10.4%), and Family Practice Care (9.7%) represented the most common specialties in which MSKI medical encounters were recorded. These findings indicate that female Marines demonstrated greater healthcare utilization for MSKI than male Marines regardless of occupational specialty. Additionally, most medical encounters were associated with rehabilitation specialists and primary healthcare providers. Continued investment in expedient access to rehabilitation and primary care services is essential to mitigate the MSKI burden in the USMC.