Dysbaric osteonecrosis screening in submarine escape instructors.
BACKGROUND
Dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) is an avascular bone necrosis that can be seen in divers and compressed air workers. Submarine escape instructors constitute a specific group who are exposed to hyperbaric conditions with a constant profile.


METHODS
We screened 21 Turkish Navy submarine escape instructors and evaluated 147 skeletal radiographs for dysbaric osteonecrosis. Two instructors who had suspicious DON lesions on the X-rays underwent examination by MRI of the suspected sites.


RESULTS
We found no evidence of DON in the radiographs and MRIs of the submarine escape instructors.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that the risk of DON is very low for submarine escape instructors who work at the Submarine Escape Training Tower (SETT) at a depth of 60 ft and who strictly obey the decompression rules.
Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Department of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. syildiz@gata.edu.tr
Senol
S
Yildiz
Cagatay
C
Cimsit
Akin Savas
AS
Toklu
Maide
M
Cimsit
D000328:Adult; D001469:Barotrauma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004242:Diving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology