Cervical and lumbar MRI findings in aviators as a function of aircraft type.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Landau
Dan-Avi
DA
Surgeon General's Headquarters, IAF, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. dlandau@gmail.com
Chapnick
Leah
L
Yoffe
Nechemia
N
Azaria
Bella
B
Goldstein
Liav
L
Atar
Eli
E
D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000367:Age Factors; D000401:Aircraft; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology