Acute Pectoralis Major Tears in Forward Deployed Active Duty U.S. Military Personnel: A Population at Risk?

The purpose of this study is to report on the causes of a series of acute pectoralis major tears in
active duty deployed military personnel. Nine cases of acute pectoralis major tears evaluated at one expeditionary military treatment facility over a 4-month deployment cycle were analyzed. Nine male patients were diagnosed with tears: seven complete tears at the tendinous insertion, one complete tear at the musculotendinous junction, and one incomplete tear, with a mean age of 32 years (range, 23–52 years). All injuries occurred during bench press, with the dominant upper extremity involved 56% of the time. Injury occurred an average of 77 days into the tour (range, 3–198 days). Mean time from injury to surgical repair in the cohort was 18 days (range, 10–43 days). Combat-deployed active duty U.S. military personnel likely represent a high-risk population for this injury. Surgical repair is possible, but rarely advisable, in the deployed setting. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 28(2):150–157, 2019) Key words: active duty, military, pectoralis major tear, tendon repair, wartime injuries