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We report the results of a randomised trial to determine the effects ofskin traction on 252 patients awaiting surgery for fractures of the proximal femur.

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This study examined the relative load-carrying ability of men and women. Nineteen male and fifteen female soldiers carried loads of 18, 27, and 36 kg during individual voluntary maximal speed 10-km road marches. Measures included march times, pre- post-march vertical jump and grenade throw, and a post-march questionnaire about equipment compatibility. The major findings were that the average march rates for both male and female soldiers in all load conditions were faster than the rates published in U.S. Army field manuals. This suggests that the test subjects were within the published zone of acceptable performance. Men completed the marches an average of 21% faster than the women. Women reported more problems with the shoulder straps, fit of the waist belts, and the fit and stability of the backpack. Data suggest that at least a portion of the gender differences in march rate may be explained by equipment problems reported by the women.

In this study we examined the anthropometric and physiological factors that may account for the ability to carry a casualty on a stretcher. Eleven young soldiers were pretested to obtain their anthropometry, body composition, physical fitness, and muscle cross-sectional areas. They then performed a two-person manual carry of a stretcher containing an 82-kg manikin while walking on a treadmill at a speed of 4.8 km/h. Subjects walked until volitional fatigue, as indicated by slippage of the stretcher from their hands. Average (SD) carriage time was 2.7(1.4) min with a range of 1.4-6.4 min. A stepwise multiple linear regression revealed that forearm bone-plus-muscle cross-sectional area, thigh muscle cross-sectional area, and push-up performance accounted for most of the variance in hand carriage time (r2 = 0.99, P < 0.001). These data suggest that muscle cross-sectional area and upper-body muscular endurance are important physiological factors in the ability to carry a loaded stretcher by hand.