Equipment modification is associated with fewer stress fractures in female Israel border police recruits

Purpose: The study was planned to assess whether combat equipment weight reduction would lead to a reduction in the incidence of stress fractures in female border police infantry recruits taking a 4-month course of basic combat training. Method: 213 female border police recruits, 18-19 years of age, undergoing 16 weeks of basic combat training with lighter rifl e and lighter closely fi tted combat vest, (total 9.4 kg) were followed prospectively for stress fracture (SFx) incidence, compared to a historical control group of 1,210 recruits who trained with traditional equipment (12.5 kg). Results: Equipment modifi cation was associated with a signifi cant reduction in SFx from 18.3% in the control group to 8.0% in the intervention group ( p < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study implies that equipment weight reduction may achieve a signifi cant effect in SFx reduction. Approximating fi ghting gear to body center of gravity may enhance this effect.