The meniscus is a layer of cartilage in the cavity of the knee joints, which acts as shock absorption and stabilization. There are two such layers in the knee joint - internal and external.
A meniscus tear usually occurs due to an indirect or combined injury, which is accompanied by external or internal rotation of the tibia. The meniscus can also be damaged during excessive flexion and extension of the joints, abduction and adduction of the lower leg. In rare cases, the cause is a direct blow to the kneecap.
With repeated injury, the disease can become chronic, which can cause a meniscus tear when squatting or turning sharply. Degenerative changes in the meniscus often develop due to the presence of chronic microtraumas, rheumatism, chronic intoxication, and gout.
This knee joint problem is regulated by Article 65 of the Schedule of Diseases. A violation in itself is not considered grounds for exempting a conscript from military service. Meanwhile, if the meniscus ruptures, doctors give directions for surgery.
The operation, in turn, provides a deferment from conscription into the army on the basis of Article 86 of the Schedule of Sicknesses. The conscript is considered temporarily unfit for military service and belongs to fitness category “G”.
They can be completely exempt from military service if a conscript has a large knee joint damaged. This is specified in Article 65 Schedule of Diseases. Thus, the young man falls under point “B” or “C”.
Point "B" includes:
Point "B" includes:
If the case of a conscript falls under at least one of the points described above, the young man is exempt from military service. The conscript is enlisted in the reserves and is issued a military ID.
It is especially necessary to pay attention if the patient has:
Persistent contracture of the knee joint refers to a phenomenon in which the joints cannot fully flex or extend. The table for assessing the range of motion of joints in degrees indicates the restrictions under which a conscript may not be accepted into the army. This table is located among the main tables, which contains a list of diseases for which military service is contraindicated.
According to these data, which the medical commission is guided by, the limitation of the range of motion of the knee joint during flexion is 60 degrees, and during extension – 175 degrees. To determine whether the knee joint has abnormalities, you need to seek the help of an orthopedic doctor.
With deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joints, you may be exempt from military service if:
The conscript is exempt from conscription into the army and assigned category “B”, as a result of which the young man is considered partially fit for service. The conscript is enlisted in the reserves and given a military ID.
Despite the fact that in the event of a meniscus tear, doctors give directions for surgery, the patient has every right to refuse surgery. To do this, the conscript must write an application to the military commissariat.
The application is drawn up in free form and addressed to the doctor who supervises the medical examination of citizens subject to conscription. Also, the second application is sent to the head of the department of the military commissariat, who acts as the deputy chairman of the conscription commission.
As is known, the operation provides a deferment from conscription into the army on the basis of Article 86 of the Schedule of Sicknesses. In this regard, the conscript is considered temporarily unfit for military service and is awarded fitness category “G”.
The basis for refusing to perform an operation may be the clause of the article of the federal law “On the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation.” Based on paragraph 3 of Article 20, a conscript has every right to refuse medical intervention.
If a young person is referred for surgery, this indicates the presence of any serious problems in the functioning of the joints. For this reason, even if a conscript refuses surgical intervention, he is in any case given a deferment from military service and is awarded fitness category “G”.
According to Article 85 of the Schedule of Diseases, a conscript who has suffered an acute inflammatory disease of the joint is considered temporarily unfit for military service for six months from the date of completion of treatment.
If after this time the signs of inflammation after a serious joint disease have disappeared, the young man is considered fit for military service. If the operation is not performed, the conscript is assessed for suitability for the army based on the available data on the patient's condition at the time of the examination.
Today we offer an article on the topic: “Do they enlist in the army with arthrosis of the 1st and 2nd degrees?” We tried to describe everything clearly and in detail. If you have any questions, ask at the end of the article.
“Do they take you into the army with arthrosis?” - Many young people of military age are concerned about this question. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis among young people is an uncommon occurrence, since joint disease mainly affects people after 40 years of age, but especially after 60 years, 70% suffer from arthrosis. However, young people can also have osteoarthritis. The main reason for its occurrence among adolescents and young men of conscription age are injuries and joint dysplasia.
A young man, a conscript subject to military service, may have arthrosis or a tendency to develop the disease if he:
If any of the listed points coincide, then the conscript should be examined by a radiologist who will take X-rays to determine the picture. In the pictures, in the presence of arthrosis, bone growths along the edges of the joints (so-called osteophytes) may be visible; another main sign of arthrosis is a narrowing of the interarticular space. Also, a doctor (radiologist, rheumatologist, traumatologist) can identify joint deformities based on examination. In this case, the angles of deviation from the normal position of the bone are calculated.
Arthrosis and the army: are they compatible?
To make a verdict from a medical expert at the military registration and enlistment office, appropriate medical opinions are needed after a thorough examination. It is difficult to say in absentia whether a young man with arthrosis is fit for the army. Here, a lot depends on concomitant diseases (for example, the degree of flat feet, kyphosis and other ailments), the nature and severity of the arthrosis of the joints itself. The medical commission should pay attention to the degree of narrowing of the joint space, bone deformities, and the degree of wear of the cartilage tissue.
Thus, there is no definite answer that people with arthrosis are not accepted into the army. Let's look at the Schedule of Diseases, which is part of the Regulations on Military Medical Examination. This document defines a list of diseases that may provide a deferment or will be a reason for deregistration from the military register. The schedule of diseases, Article 68, defines the stages of arthrosis that can exempt you from military service:
Persons with arthrosis in the joints of the midfoot and grade 3 flatfoot, expressed by severe pain, exostoses, and transverse or longitudinal deformities, are not accepted for military service. But if the guy has flat feet and arthrosis of the first degree, then the guy will have to serve, most often he is given category B.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint may become a reason to be discharged from the army if doctors reveal severe narrowing of the joint space on X-rays. A diagnosis of “arthrosis of the second degree” allows you not to take a conscript into the army, but military registration and enlistment offices often mark the personal file as “fit”, since it is very difficult to accurately determine the degree of arthrosis ; there are no proper legal definitions of what exactly is considered arthrosis of one degree or another.
The conscript will have to collect all documents, certificates, x-rays, and doctors’ reports in order to further prove to the military commission that he is unfit for military service. Many factors will be taken into account that decide the fate of the young man. With a large bouquet of diseases, to which arthrosis is added, the army may “not shine” for the conscript. Thus, the severity of the disease, the symptoms of the disease that interfere with normal service, will be important.
took pictures of feet in the direction of the military registration and enlistment office
the surgeon made the diagnosis
in the lateral projection with a standard load, flattening of the arches of the feet is determined. a decrease in the height of the longitudinal arch of both feet is determined:
right 23mm, angle 149 degrees
left 18mm, angle 157 degrees
The head of the talus is deformed, the interarticular spaces of the talonavicular joints are narrowed to 1 mm, marginal exostoses, subchondral osteosclerosis of the end plates.
conclusion - flat feet of both feet 2-3 degrees
Arthrosis of the talonavicular joints, grade 2
Then I went with the photographs to get stamps from the managers...
and they told me that the conclusion was not correct (the guidelines were put in the wrong place)
as a result, 2 heads of departments and the hospital, having changed the guidelines, made a diagnosis
1st - flat feet of both feet 2nd degree and arthrosis 1st degree
2nd - flat feet of both feet 2 degrees and arthrosis 1-2 degrees.
I took an additional photo.. the result will be on Wednesday..
What can you say about my case? good or not?
You are of conscription age and the question arises: do they take people with flat feet into the army?
Today, you should be guided by Regulation No. 123. It is better to look at the latest edition dated February 25, 2003. See the section on musculoskeletal diseases, where flat feet are discussed in detail in article No. 68 of the table, which is called “Schedule of diseases.” After studying this document, you can independently determine whether people with flat feet are accepted into the army. .
It all depends on the degree of complexity of the disease indicated in the diagnosis. The degree of complexity of flat feet is distributed according to points: a, b, c, d.
If the diagnosis falls under point “a” (significant impairment of function due to flat feet), the conscript belongs to category “D”, according to Article 68 he is considered unfit for military service.
Point “b” (moderate dysfunction due to flat feet) – belongs to category “B”, that is, the conscript is of limited fitness (or unfit in peacetime). He receives a military ID and enlists in the reserves. Such a person is exempt from conscription.
Point “c” (minor dysfunction due to flat feet) is also category “B”.
Point “d” (without impairment of functions, when there is objective data) - categories “B-Z” - suitable, with the exception of some branches of the military.
How are diagnoses distributed according to the points of Regulation No. 123?
a) - equine, varus, hollow, calcaneal, equinovarus, flat-valgus deformed foot (one or both), formed as a result of injuries or diseases, and with which a person cannot use military shoes;
b) – 3rd degree flatfoot (longitudinal or transverse);
c) – 2nd degree flatfoot (only with 2nd degree arthrosis);
d) – 1st or 2nd degree flatfoot (with 1st degree deforming arthrosis).
How is the degree of flatfoot determined?
To determine the degree of flatfoot, you need to be guided by:
Who will tell you whether they are recruited into the army with flat feet, determine the degree of flat feet and make a diagnosis?
Only an orthopedic surgeon at the clinic can determine the degree of flatfoot. The diagnosis is made on the basis of X-ray images, which are described by a radiologist, and the orthopedic surgeon, based on these descriptions, makes a conclusion and establishes a diagnosis. The military commissar does not have the right to make a diagnosis. He only determines the level of suitability for military service based on a clearly stated diagnosis by a clinic doctor.
The doctor is required to write a diagnosis; if he refuses, then such behavior is regarded as a refusal to provide medical care, which is fraught with penalties for the doctor, including dismissal.
It is advisable to complain to higher authorities (from the head of the clinic to the city administration and above) in writing with the obligatory registration of letters.
This can be determined by comparing the parameters described in the x-ray with the explanations in the Regulations on Military Medical Examination. It is necessary to undergo examination at another clinic. Write complaints based on the available results of facts. If there is no result, file a lawsuit. If you are right and the disease really exists, the doctor will be declared incompetent and your rights will be restored.
With diagnoses that fall under points: a, b, c.
Is it possible to run with flat feet?
Basically, doctors agree that running with flat feet is contraindicated. It is possible, and even necessary, to load the foot, but the load must be correct. A complex of physical therapy developed by an orthopedist for your degree of flat feet, foot deformities and complications is useful.
Walking is possible, but a custom-made orthopedic insole is required.
Do they take into the army with flat feet and arthrosis?
Question from Dorokhov S.Yu.: I am a conscript and have already passed the medical commission. With diagnoses of arthrosis 1-2 degrees and flat feet 2 degrees, the army threatens?
Answer: Your diagnoses were very ambiguous. If you have 2nd degree flat feet together with 1st degree arthrosis, you will be accepted into the army, indicating category B3, which means with minor restrictions. If you have 2nd degree flat feet together with 2nd degree arthrosis, then you are not fit to serve in the army. The decision regarding your conscription will be made at the discretion of the radiologist and the military commission. If you are not satisfied with the decision, we advise you to undergo a medical examination again, or seek help from a lawyer.
Basically, joints affected by arthrosis are a problem for people who have crossed the forty-year mark. But this disease also occurs among yesterday's schoolchildren. The only question is: can it become an obstacle to conscription? In especially severe cases, yes, and then the conscript has a chance to fall into category “D,” which will forever free him from serving military service.
If, as a result of injury or dysplasia of the joints, deformation changes in the cartilage tissue occur, then we can already talk about arthrosis. The destruction of cartilage is not a one-time process, but a gradual one, and in the initial stages the disease does not reveal itself, at least a visual examination of the joint does not reveal anything. In general, this disease comes in three degrees:
Dear readers! Our articles talk about typical ways to resolve issues, but each case is unique and must be resolved individually!
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To be exempt from service, you must prove your inability to hold a weapon or follow orders. This fact is established during a medical commission organized by the military registration and enlistment office. The medical board doctors are guided by a special document - the Schedule of Diseases, which describes all the diagnoses for which a conscript can be exempted from military service.
Without going into particular cases, we can summarize that with stages 2 and 3 of arthrosis, a conscript can count on being released, but with the first stage he will go to serve.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint appears for a number of reasons, and if a young man has undergone surgery to remove the meniscus, then with a 90% chance he will develop gonarthrosis. If the disease has turned into a deforming form, then the guy can be released from the army, and it does not matter at what stage the disease is: arthrosis of the 1st degree or progressive gonarthrosis. If the width of the joint space is less than 4 mm, then he will not join the army, at least in peacetime.
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If a conscript had surgery on the knee joint during the conscription campaign or even before it began, then the guy will receive a deferment for six months. During the next conscription, he will have to undergo a medical examination again, during which the medical commission will make a final decision: can the young man serve in the army or not. That is, he is assigned the appropriate fitness category: B, D, B or A (which is unlikely).
How is coxarthrosis different from all other types of arthrosis? The fact that the hip joint is affected, and so much so that a person experiences severe pain when walking. For this reason, lameness appears, which subsequently also leads to scoliosis and other problems with the spine.
To fall under the non-recruitment category B, it is necessary that the width of the joint space “fits” within the limits determined by the Schedule of Diseases - this is 2-4 mm. If this figure is much lower, then the conscript is considered unfit for military service and receives a lifelong exemption from military service. That is, it falls under category D.
The ankle joint also belongs to the category of large joints, therefore, the conditions for falling under categories B or D will be the same as in all previous cases. Arthrosis of the ankle is a diagnosis that requires confirmation. Therefore, when going for a medical examination, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary documents confirming that the conscript has arthrosis of the ankle and the width of the joint space does not exceed 4 mm.
If a person has flat feet, then he may develop an additional pathology - arthrosis of the talocalcaneal-navicular joint, which may be the reason for assigning category G. But this is only possible when the heel bone is severely deformed and the Böhler angle is reduced to 100.
Of course, this process must be accompanied by arthrosis. To prove his unfitness for military service, a conscript must provide members of the Military Military Commission not only with the results of an x-ray, but also with a computed tomography scan.
Arthrosis of the shoulder joint can put a guy in an awkward position, because he hopes to be assigned category B, and the medical board can give him a completely different verdict, for example, assign him “combat” category B3. Here again: it all depends on the specific circumstances and state of health.
To determine possible dysfunctions of the shoulder joint, medical specialists use a table assessing the range of motion in the joint. That is, the angles of flexion-extension-abduction, expressed in degrees, are taken into account.
The elbow joint is affected much less frequently by arthrosis because it does not bear a serious load. But if the disease appears and is not treated, it is fraught with serious consequences. Do they take you into the army with such an illness? Here again: it all depends on the patient’s condition and the size of the gap between the bones. This means that a conscript can return to serve the Motherland, receive a deferment, category B and, in very rare cases, category D.
Arthrosis is a pathology of the locomotor system, in which deformation of the joints is observed due to the destruction of cartilage.
The disease is usually diagnosed in people over 40 years of age. But it happens that pathology develops in young people, including those who have not served in the army.
Whether young men with arthrosis are fit to serve in the armed forces, or whether the army will bypass them, depends on the severity of the pathology.
The disease progresses gradually:
To prevent and treat pathology, it is necessary to take medications. Damaged joints should not be overcooled or subjected to excessive physical stress. The patient should wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
Such recommendations are incompatible with military service, but this does not mean that with any degree of illness the conscript is exempt from military service.
The military medical commission decides whether a young man is fit based on a special document called the “Schedule of Diseases.”
In accordance with Article 65, a conscript may be released from the army:
Categories of suitability for military service
Gonarthrosis can be triggered by injuries to the knee and meniscus, inflammation, excess weight, overload of the limbs and sudden movements during sports.
The disease often develops after meniscectomy; only one patient out of ten who undergo this operation does not develop arthrosis.
According to the Illness Schedule, a young man is exempt from military service if he has a joint deformity and the width of the joint space does not exceed 4 mm.
When a young man was operated on just before or during conscription, then, according to Article 85 of the Schedule of Diseases, he receives a deferment of six months. After this time, the young man will again appear before the military medical commission, which will decide whether the young man is fit for military service or not.
If arthrosis of the ankle develops, they are not accepted into the army if there is deformation and the width of the joint space is no more than 4 mm.
It must be remembered that the military medical commission itself does not make a diagnosis; it issues an opinion based on the documents provided to it.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide the military registration and enlistment office with an x-ray of the ankle joint and a doctor’s report. An orthopedist and surgeon can diagnose arthrosis.
Coxarthrosis is the name given to degenerative-dystrophic changes in the hip joint.
The pathology progresses slowly. It causes pain to the patient when moving, which causes gait disturbance and the person begins to limp.
This in turn leads to the fact that the load on the spinal column becomes incorrect. As a result, scoliosis, asymmetry of the hip bones and muscle atrophy may develop.
As with other types of pathology, exemption from conscription can be obtained in accordance with Article 65 of the Schedule of Diseases:
Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the talonavicular joint are usually observed against the background of flat feet. But other reasons can also provoke pathology: foot injury, inflammation and congenital anomalies.
The clinical picture of the disease is similar to other types of arthrosis: the affected joint becomes inflamed and swollen. The patient experiences severe pain when moving. The diagnosis is confirmed by x-ray and CT scan.
With this course of the disease, military doctors make decisions on the suitability of a young man for service in the armed forces on the basis of Article 68 of the Schedule of Diseases.
Young men with a deformation of the calcaneus, a maximum Beler angle of 10? and osteoarthritis.
The decision on exemption from military service is made by the military medical commission in each specific case individually, depending on the severity of the joint damage.
It is believed that the destruction of the knee occurs mainly in people who have passed the age of forty. Not true: the disease can also develop in young people. Guys at a young age are more likely to suffer from inflammatory diseases. They are interested in whether people with arthrosis are accepted into the army?
In practice it is difficult to give a positive answer. Depends on the severity of the disease. Depending on the degree of destruction of the knee, the medical commission makes a decision on the suitability of the young man for military service.
Destruction of the knee joint has characteristic signs:
If knee arthrosis is not treated, the limitation of knee mobility progresses. A young person has an increased risk of being diagnosed with a disability.
The disease has several degrees, each characterized by differences in the knee.
The development of first-degree knee arthrosis manifests itself early in pain when performing active movements. They are mild and bother the patient during exercise. Sometimes fluid accumulates in the knee. The accumulation of fluid in the synovial cavity of the joint leads to the formation of a Baker's cyst. The diagnosis can be made using an x-ray of the knee.
The second degree of knee arthrosis is characterized by noticeable destruction of the knee. An X-ray of the affected organ shows significant growth of bone tissue. When bending or extending, a noticeable crunch is felt. It is caused by changes in joint mobility. The progression of the disease causes noticeable immobilization of the lower extremities. It becomes more difficult for a person to make simple movements.
The development of third-degree knee arthrosis is characterized by loss of the ability to perform active movements. Often the leg becomes immobile, patients move on barely bent legs, taking steps with difficulty. They are worried about pain, due to which they cannot sleep fully.
When a joint is diseased, it is often necessary to resort to taking anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the pain.
Sometimes a person combines flat feet with arthrosis. In this case, the destruction spreads to a greater extent to the foot. This further limits mobility in the joint and affects suitability for military service.
To be exempt from military service, a person must have third-degree longitudinal flatfoot, transverse flatfoot with severe pain, and impaired mobility in the foot. The person is assigned the “limited fit” category.
Flat feet of the second degree does not exempt a young man from conscription. If there are destructive changes in the foot, the decision may be revised, and the person may be declared of limited fitness. This exempts you from conscription into the army and is the basis for issuing a military ID. The angle of the arch of the foot is of great importance.
In some cases, flat feet with arthrosis are grounds for deferment from conscription. To do this, it is necessary that the degree of the disease meets established criteria.
A special commission gives a final verdict on the knee deformity. Doctors pay attention to the following factors:
Exemption from service depends on the degree of development of the disease. It is impossible to say unequivocally whether the guy will be accepted into the army based on the description of the symptoms of the disease. They resort to military medical examination.
Sometimes, due to the development of a disease of the knee joint, the patient is deregistered from the military register. This happens in cases:
It happens that a conscript is taken into the army with arthrosis. Cases occur at the initial stage of disease development. There is no pain syndrome or limitation of limb functions. This happens with arthrosis of the knee joint, without pronounced destructive changes in it.
These conscripts are not deregistered from the military register. Their personal file is marked “passable”. As a rule, they are assigned category B.
Before treating your knee, you should consult your doctor. A medical consultation will confirm the diagnosis and prescribe the necessary procedures and medications. For this pathology, physical therapy is indicated.
For diseases of the knee joint, it is recommended not to self-medicate. This also applies to physical education. In some cases, exercise may be harmful for knee strain.
The absence of deformation serves as the basis for recognizing the conscript as fit for military service. To do this, he must meet the necessary criteria; since 2014 they have become stricter. This means that conscripts have increased health requirements.
Resolution No. 64, dedicated to the schedule of illnesses, indicates which ailments cannot be used for military service. Many conscripts wonder if they are accepted into the army with arthritis. This disease is subject to classification in the material below. However, if it has not worsened over the last 5 years, and the motor function of the joint remains normal, then this will not be an obstacle to military service. In 2003, the Russian government passed a law on which diseases, including forms of arthritis, can relieve a young man from military duties.
The list of diseases provides for exemption from military service in the case of infectious arthritis and those that occur with inflammation. The classification in this case is represented by points A, B and C, each of which implies division into a specific category, each category is based on a medical report on the condition of the joints and possible complications. Do they take into the army with arthritis? Those with severe forms of the disease are not accepted into the army. You cannot serve with the following forms of arthritis:
According to Resolution No. 64, dozens of young people of military age cannot serve in the army if they have:
Let's take a closer look at the diseases that are not accepted into the army.
Rheumatoid arthritis. This chronic disease mainly destroys small joints. The risk of the disease is high if there is a certain heredity or impaired immunity. It first appears in the articular membrane, and specific substances are produced to which the internal organs react. Symptoms are manifested by pain, which disappears in the absence of physical activity, patient fatigue, loss of body weight, and profuse sweating. Appetite worsens. In the morning, a person may feel difficulty moving, and the sore spot swells. If the disease is already very active, then the muscles lose their strength, the skin becomes dry, and nails break easily. Complications appear in the cardiovascular system, kidneys and lungs. People with such a diagnosis are not accepted into the army, especially if the person has an advanced form.
Gouty form. In this case, metabolic processes are disrupted, and excess uric acid appears in the blood. Salts are deposited in the joints, since the kidneys cannot cope with all harmful substances on their own. The joints of the lower extremities are most often affected, but damage to the upper extremities is also possible. Do people with arthritis like this take them into the army? It belongs to the category of inflammatory processes in the body, since gout is inflammation. With such a diagnosis, a person is not accepted into the ranks of the military. The disease progresses due to hereditary characteristics; the likelihood is higher in men than in women. If you eat improperly, gout makes itself felt. At the first stage, it is almost impossible to make a diagnosis without testing. Subsequently, pronounced pain begins, the skin turns blue, and the sore spot swells.
Polyarthritis nodosa. This arthritis is considered to be the reason for a person's release from service. In this case, several joints are affected, and peculiar nodules form on the arterial walls. Young people have a much higher risk of getting sick than the fairer sex. The main symptoms are weight loss, joint and muscle pain, and fever. Complications can affect the heart, lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Gangrene often develops as a result of the death of skin cells.
Seronegative spondyloarthritis. In this case, the sacroiliac joints and spine are affected. The disease can occur due to hereditary characteristics, the presence of genitourinary or intestinal infections. Can people with seronegative arthritis be drafted into the army? The answer is negative, because if the disease is not treated, it can cause disability.
Whether people with arthritis are accepted into the army is a question that concerns many mothers of young men. You can read their anxious doubts on the forums. Dispelling them is the task of professional doctors. Do not hesitate to contact them at the first signs, because the army needs healthy and strong men.
Arthrosis has become significantly “younger” over the past decades. This chronic, disabling disease affects people long before they reach retirement age. Sometimes the impairments are so serious that patients are assigned a disability. Military-age boys are not immune from arthrosis either. The first question that young people have when they are diagnosed with arthrosis at a medical examination is whether they will be accepted into the army with this disease. Neither a doctor nor a lawyer can answer unequivocally whether people with arthrosis are accepted into the army. This issue, like the issue of assigning disability, is considered individually, taking into account many nuances. The location, stage of the disease, the presence of complications, and concomitant diseases are important.
Osteoarthritis is considered to be an age-related disease; it often develops as a result of natural wear and tear of joints, slower regeneration processes, and unfavorable changes in hormonal levels. In young people, the following factors can lead to degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joints:
If a conscript is overweight, eats poorly, or becomes addicted to alcohol or smoking early, the risk of early development of arthrosis is higher. As a rule, arthrosis progresses slowly, at stage 1 it is practically asymptomatic. There are often cases when a young man with grade 1 arthrosis does not pay attention to periodic short-term pain and morning stiffness. He learns about the presence of the disease only when he undergoes a medical examination at the military registration and enlistment office. Sometimes, based on the results of examination and x-ray examination, grade 2 arthrosis is diagnosed. The likelihood that a person of military age will reach stage 3 osteoarthritis is low. But sometimes the disease progresses rapidly and occurs with complications.
Some conscripts, having learned about their diagnosis, hope that the army will now abandon them. For others, on the contrary, their future career plans are related to military service. They are worried that they will not be accepted into the troops in which they dreamed of serving, or that they will not be accepted into a military school. How compatible are arthrosis and the army, who decides the fate of the conscript? Resolution No. 565 of the Russian government approved the Regulations on Military Medical Examination, the latest edition of which dates back to March 2017. The draft commission, when deciding whether to accept a conscript into the army, is guided by the Appendix to this resolution. This regulatory document contains the principles of examination and examination of citizens, which:
Expertise is also carried out in a number of other situations.
The application has a long, complex title that begins with the words “Health Requirements...”, but is more often referred to by the name of the second chapter, “Schedule of Diseases.” In the “Schedule...” diseases are divided into 16 classes by analogy with ICD-10. Arthrosis of the peripheral joints and joints of the spine belongs to class 13. The schedule is a table of 3 columns:
The last column is divided into 3 columns, these are different categories of persons passing the commission. A detailed description of each category is contained in the first chapter of the Appendix (“General Provisions”). Columns 2 and 3 are those who have already completed or are undergoing conscription or contract service. And the question of whether people with arthrosis are recruited into the army mainly worries people in the 1st category - those who are registering for the military for the first time or are called up for service. After each article of the schedule there are detailed explanations: what diseases belong to this article, on the basis of what diagnostic criteria a specific diagnosis is made.
According to the degree of suitability for military service, persons who have passed the examination are divided into 5 categories; they are designated by letters of the Russian alphabet.
In the conclusion of the commission on conscripts recognized as fit and limited fit, after the letter there is a number from 1 to 4, which indicates the type of military service. 1 – special-purpose units, where they are accepted only with ideal health conditions. In units of category 4 - communications, security - conscripts with a number of diseases can serve.
When determining fitness for military service, impairment of limb or spinal function is assessed, which can be significant, moderate or minor. It is also possible that objective examination results indicate arthrosis, but joint function is not impaired. In this case, persons undergoing conscription for the first time are recognized as fit, with minor restrictions, for service in category 3 troops (drivers and crew members of ground vehicles, guard troops, etc.) That is, if arthrosis of the knee joint is diagnosed, the army may well get a recruit, only the road to special forces and elite troops is closed to him.
Arthrosis of large peripheral joints refers to Article 65 of the schedule. If there are moderate or minor dysfunctions of the joint, the conscript is assigned category B. This includes patients with gonarthrosis, coxarthrosis and arthrosis of other large joints, in which x-rays show a narrowing of the joint space to 2–4 mm. If there is persistent contracture in at least one of the large joints, which leads to moderate or slight limitation of movement, the conscript is classified in the same category. The basis for classification into category D (recognized as unfit) is a significant impairment of the functions of the joint (joints). It can be caused by severe DOA with the following criteria:
If ankylosis develops as a result of osteoarthritis, the patient is also classified as category D, as are patients with large joint endoprostheses. Another basis for recognition as unfit: the limb is in a functionally disadvantageous position most of the time, and the amplitude of its movements is significantly limited due to persistent articular contracture. Deforming osteoarthritis of the 3rd degree is one of the causes of severe deformities of the limbs (valgus or varus curvature of the legs, axial shortening of the arm). Such deformations fall under Article 69 and, if there is significant impairment of the functions of a limb, are grounds for declaring a person unfit for service. The pathologies that are included in Article 69 also prevent the wearing of uniforms and shoes.
The Appendix includes a number of tables. To assess dysfunction of large joints, the range of motion is measured and correlated with the indicators given in Table 4.
The answer to the question whether spondyloarthrosis threatens the army should be sought in article 66, devoted to diseases of the spine. Spondyloarthrosis (arthrosis of the spine) is not mentioned here, but it often occurs in combination with other diseases - osteochondrosis, spondylolisthesis (displacement of the vertebral bodies) or is a consequence of scoliosis. Persons whose static, motor and protective functions of the spine are significantly impaired are exempt from conscription. And spondyloarthrosis in combination with other diseases, deformations and malformations can lead to such disorders.
Arthrosis of the hand joints is not considered among the defects and deformations for which a conscript is exempt from military service. According to Article 67, the basis for exemption from service in peacetime may be a combination of violations of the structures of the hand, in which its function is moderately impaired, problems with nutrition and blood supply to the fingers are noted. This situation may be a consequence of polyarthrosis of the hands. Foot deformities are discussed in Article 68. Category D is assigned only in cases of pronounced irreversible foot deformities. The grounds for recognition as limitedly fit are:
Article 68 details the diagnostic criteria for determining the degree of longitudinal and transverse flatfoot, post-traumatic deformity of the calcaneus and DOA of the talonavicular joint.
Arthrosis is not always the basis for exemption from military service. A “no fit” decision is made if deforming osteoarthritis leads to significant impairment of the functions of the limbs or spine. As a rule, this is typical for grade 3 arthrosis of large peripheral joints. Severe deformities of the limbs and feet, caused by both arthrosis and other reasons, are also grounds for declaring a conscript unfit or partially fit for military service. If a conscript with arthrosis and other diseases does not agree with the decision of the military medical commission, he may demand an independent examination.