Body Armor and Lumbar Disc Herniation in Young Military Veterans: A Case Series.

This article examines the potential association between heavy body armor and excessive carry loads with early-onset lumbar disc herniation and lower back pain in military veterans. A retrospective case series of 10 male veterans treated at the Fargo VA Hospital found that these individuals experienced lower back pain at an average age of 35, which is younger than the typical onset age in the general male population. Most veterans reported wearing body armor weighing over 15 kg (33 pounds) for more than six hours daily during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, with disc herniations commonly occurring at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 spinal levels. While 60% of the veterans had service-connected disabilities related to back pain, the study's small sample size limits definitive conclusions, highlighting the need for larger, rigorous research to clarify the long-term musculoskeletal effects of heavy armor and load carriage in military personnel.