On today’s episode we’re focusing on musculoskeletal injuries or “MSKIs” in warrior athletes with Dr. Matt Provencher. We have some great articles for you that contribute well to our conversation on musculoskeletal injuries in the military population. 

We’ll start off our discussion today with an article from the March 2022 issue of Military Medicine that introduces the Military Orthopedics Tracking Injuries and Outcomes Network or “MOTION”. MOTION is an internet-based data capture system that aims to collect and analyze short- and long-term patient outcomes after surgical treatment of a musculoskeletal injury. The goal of MOTION is three-gold: First, to identify factors that predict favorable outcomes. Second, to develop models which inform the surgeon and military commanders of patient progress – if they are ahead of or on schedule for return to duty, marginally behind or substantially behind. And third, to then develop predictive models to better inform both patients and surgeons of the likelihood of a positive outcome – to enhance patient counseling and expectation management.

Then, from the November 2020 issue of Sports Health, we review the publication titled “Identification of Risk Factors Prospectively Associated With Musculoskeletal Injury in a Warrior Athlete Population.” This level 2 prospective cohort study identified 11 risk factors for MSKI, including: Older age, female sex, prior MSKI, lower perceived recovery from injury, prior work restrictions, asymmetrical ankle dorsiflexion, decreased or asymmetrical performance on the Lower and Upper Quarter Y-Balance test, pain with movement tests and slower 2-mile run times.

We wrap up Part I with a 2022 yellow journal article from the 15th Annual Extremity War Injury Symposium in 2022, authored by our guest today, that summarizes the recent research efforts focused on MSKI in warrior athletes. This paper primarily focuses on post-traumatic osteoarthritis and the role of orthobiologics in lessening the prevalence of this condition and accelerating recovery to return tactical athletes to full, unrestricted duties as quickly and safely as possible.

We are joined today by Dr. Matt Provencher, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado who specializes in complex shoulder, complex knee and sports medicine. We had the privilege of training under Dr. Provencher during his time at Mass General in Boston, where he was also the head team doctor for the New England Patriots. Dr. Provencher has over 20 years of clinical orthopedic experience and surgical care of both civilian patients and the United States Navy SEALs.

He was recently named one of the Top 28 Shoulder Surgeons in the US and also one of the Top 28 Knee Surgeons in the US by Orthopaedics Today. Dr. Provencher is the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopy and Related Surgery and has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, authored 5 textbooks and 148 book chapters.