Military fall parachutist11/7/2023 ![]() ![]() Fractures, dislocations, and fracture-dislocations of the spine. Links to PubMed are also available for Selected References. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (3.6M), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Full textįull text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Serious long-term disability from pain appears to be uncommon among parachutists despite the frequency of the spinal trauma they sustain. This study does not implicate parachuting as a cause of intervertebral disc degeneration, either cervical or lumbar, nor as a cause of spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis. 2 cases of cervical vertebral body fracture were seen, one related to a parachute landing injury and the other to a parachute opening injury. Spondylolisthesis was always associated with a history of back pain.Ī low prevalence of radiological cervical intervertebral disc degeneration of all grades of severity of 8♷% was found among the free fall parachutists (mean age 33 years). Spondylolysis was found in 2 subjects (4♳%) and spondylolisthesis unassociated with spondylolysis in 4 (8♷%). The frequency of moderate and severe disc degeneration was significantly related to age but not to body weight or to the number of descents. Of the ex-military parachutists x-rayed, 84♷% had lumbar disc degeneration of all grades of severity, 17♴% had moderate changes, and 10♸% had severe changes. Vertebral fractures caused no disability and did not permanently curtail parachuting activities in either the sport or ex-military group. Of those ex-military parachutists x-rayed, 10 (21♷%) were found to have vertebral body fractures (most frequently at D12), and 8 of these were unaware of these lesions. In the older ex-military group neither age, weight, nor the number of descents was significantly associated with backache. A history of back pain was significantly (P<0.01) associated with body weight in sport parachutists but not with the number of descents or with the subject's age. 46 ex-military parachutists aged 50 years or over had a radiological examination of the lumbar spine and 58 sport parachutists had a radiological examination of the cervical spine as part of the survey. Spinal injuries and symptoms were studied in 109 ex-military parachutists and 112 sport (free fall) parachutists by means of postal questionnaires.
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