A recent study attempted to determine the incidence of pectoralis major tendon ruptures in the active-duty military population and identify the risk factors for rupture. Additionally, it also sought to describe the outcomes of surgical treatment.
The mean patient age studied was 30.5 years, all were male, and the median follow-up period was 18 months. The incidence of injuries was 60 per 100,000 person-years over the study period. Risk factors for a rupture included service in the Army, junior officer or junior enlisted rank, and age between 25 and 34 years. White race and surgery occurring more than 6 weeks after injury were significant risk factors for having a postoperative complication. Among the 214 patients with a minimum of 12 months’ clinical follow-up, 95.3% were able to return to military duty. Junior officer/enlisted status was a significant risk factor for failure to return to military duty.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online April 1, 2016