Degenerative Disease In Lumbar Spine Of Military Parachuting Instructors

Description: J R Army Med Corps 2003; 149: 260-264 Y Bar-Dayan, M Weisbort,Y Bar-Dayan, GJ Velan, M Ravid, D Hendel, J Shemer
Parachuting, be it static line or sky- diving, places enormous stresses on the human spine. It is, therefore, important to determine the prevalence and severity of degenerative changes in the lumbar spine of subjects who practice this sport activity. Seventy four parachuting instructors, mean age 33 years and with an average of 410 static line and skydiving jumps, were included in the study.
The present findings provide a rationale for considering repeated sheer stress as an etiology of degenerative changes in the spinal cord, and as a possible contributing factor to the pathogenesis of spondylolysis.