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Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are the predominant reason for limited deployability or premature retirement from the UK Armed Forces (UKAF), regularly contributing to >50% of annual medical downgrades and discharges. 1 Osteoarthritis (OA) is a known long-term consequence of chronic MSKI, but also of acute MSKIs, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Previous joint trauma, alongside other risk factors including body mass, occupation or sex, can lead to early-onset idiopathic or post-traumatic OA (PTOA).1 2 US military data suggest over 30% of medical discharges are OA related.2 There is likely to be a similar UKAF OA-related impact; however, no epidemiological OA data have been previously published. Therefore, this study aims to provide estimates of UKAF OA incidence and prevalence.