A prophylactic lumbosacral brace and the biomechanics of parachute landing

Abstract

Background Lumbar injuries are common among paratroopers during landing maneuvers. Although bracing is widely advocated to increase spine stability, the effect of lumbar bracing on parachuting has yet to be quantified and the Chinese parachutist does not have a uniform prophylactic brace. The aim is to compare the effects of a novel, self-designed and self-manufactured lumbosacral brace with two ordinary lumbar braces based on biomechanical assessment of the lumbar and lower extremity joints during parachute landing. Methods The study cohort consisted of 30 elite male paratroopers. Each participant was instructed to jump off a platform at two different heights (60 and 120 cm, respectively) and land on the force plate in a half-squat posture. Participants at each height were tested under four different conditions (no brace, elastic brace, semi-rigid brace, and lumbosacral brace). The Vicon 3D motion capture system and force plate were used to record and calculate biomechanical data, such as vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs), joint angles, moments, and energy absorption. After the experiment, every participant completed the study questionnaires. Results The increase of the jumping height raised all the parameters significantly (P<0.01). The use of all three braces slightly decreased vGRF, and reduced the lumbar angle, moment, and angular velocity in the sagittal plane. The use of lumbosacral and semi-rigid braces restricted lumbar flexion more efficiently (P<0.05), and significantly increased the energy absorption of the hip joints (P<0.01) and hip flexion (P<0.01) at 120 cm. No significant effect of braces was found on the motion of knee and ankle joints. The subjective scores suggested that the lumbosacral brace was softer and more comfortable than the semi-rigid brace, and more effective than the elastic brace. Conclusions The lumbosacral brace markedly restricted the lumbar motion in the sagittal plane than the elastic brace and was more comfortable than the semi-rigid brace. Therefore, the innovative design, high efficiency, and comfortable landing of the lumbosacral brace represent a reliable option for parachute jumping and training.