Introducción: La caminata de 6 minutos (C6M) es subutilizada en la actualidad, lo anterior al parecer, por la poca disponibilidad de espacio físico en los centros de atención en salud. Realizar una forma de caminata alterna reproducible permitiría el estudio y seguimiento de pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva (EPOC).

Introduction: Pulmonary function can be affected months after blunt thoracic trauma. However, the data reported are scarce. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate pulmonary function at 3 and 6 months in subjects with thoracic injuries suffered in combat. Materials and methods: Study of cases and controls evaluating subjects with chest trauma at 3 and 6 months after it, the controls were healthy soldiers with combat experience. Spirometric variables, lung volumes, Cooper test, 6 min walking test, and cardiopulmonary exercise test were evaluated between 2011 and 2016. Results: Forty-five male subjects entered the study, 25 cases evaluated 3 months and 11 at 6 months after the trauma, compared with 20 controls. After 3 months of evaluation, the subjects wounded in combat walked 43.63 m (p = 0.007) less when compared to the control group in the 6 min walk and the post-vital capacity was 0.88 l (p < 0.001) lower at 6 months than in the control group. When comparing the subjects with chest trauma evaluated, the only variables that showed a statistically significant recovery were the pre-forced expiratory flow (p = 0.005) and 6 min walking test (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Subjects with chest trauma in combat show a decrease in lung volumes and a cardiopulmonary exercise test at 3 and 6 months of evaluation.