title: Tissue Changes During Operational Load Bearing in UH-60 Aircrew Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Warfighters involved in mounted operations often experience prolonged periods of tissue loading, leading to injury. Determining how anatomical structures are affected during loading aids in the prevention and treatment of injury. The purpose of this study was to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible seat system that simulates a UH-60 Blackhawk in-flight sitting posture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight men were scanned with a 3.0 Tesla MRI. Scans were collected with and without 6.38 psi of pressure applied to the buttocks via two air bladders and an MRI-compatible robot controller system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scans revealed that 6.38 psi of pressure applied to the buttocks significantly decreases total soft-tissue thickness beneath the left and right ischial tuberosities by 3.6 and 3.8 mm, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At operational load bearing pressures seen in the UH-60, the soft tissue structures of the buttocks are compressed. These findings aid in our understanding of the etiology of repetitive trauma disorders in aircrew due to prolonged sitting. This study serves as the foundation for future work examining the anatomical changes associated with prolonged restricted sitting and other operational activities. A better understanding of the anatomical characteristics associated with mounted operations is invaluable to the prevention and treatment of injuries reported by warfighters and civilian populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Games
authors.forename: Roger O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Kollock
authors.forename: Jerrod
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Windham
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: JoEllen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sefton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000401:Aircraft; D002081:Buttocks / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007512:Ischium / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult