Cervical and lumbar MRI findings in aviators as a function of aircraft type.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND &

AIMS:
Neck pain and lower back pain (LBP) are frequently reported by military helicopter pilots (HP) and fighter pilots. A small number of studies have used imaging methods to evaluate spinal cervical degenerative findings in pilots exposed to high +Gz, with results indicating an increase in cervical disk protrusions in this population. We evaluated the cervical and lumbar spine with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the prevalence of degenerative changes in three subpopulations of pilots.

METHODS:
Fighter pilots (FP), transport pilots (TP), and HP (10 pilots in each group) underwent cervical and lumbar MRI. Degenerative pathologic changes (disk herniation, cord compression, foraminal stenosis, and the presence of osteophytes) were evaluated in each group by two independent experienced radiologists.

RESULTS:
Cervical spine degenerative changes seemed to be associated with older age rather then aircraft type, affecting the older group of TP (8/10 pilots) more than the younger FP group who were exposed to high +Gz (3/10 pilots). In contrast, for lumbar spine degenerative changes, we found an uncommon pattern of lumbar spine degeneration in HP, affecting the upper part of the lumbar spine (10/13 disks found at L1-L4).

CONCLUSIONS:
The results of this study suggest that HP may have detectable degenerative lumbar findings. More research is needed to validate these findings as well as to explore the possible pathophysiological link between occupational exposures and the specific involvement of the upper lumbar spine.

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Author information

Author/s: Landau, Dan-Avi (DA); Chapnick, Leah (L); Yoffe, Nechemia (N); Azaria, Bella (B); Goldstein, Liav (L); Atar, Eli (E);

Affiliation: Surgeon General's Headquarters, IAF, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. dlandau(-atsign-)gmail.com

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Aviation, space, and environmental medicine (Aviat Space Environ Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Nov; vol 77 (issue 11) : pp 1158-61

Dates: Created 2006/11/07; Completed 2007/01/17;

PMID: 17086770, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Intervertebral Disk - pathology
Intervertebral Disk Displacement - epidemiology; pathology
Lumbar Vertebrae - pathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; pathology
Spinal Cord Compression - epidemiology; pathology
Spinal Diseases - epidemiology; pathology

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