Military parachuting injuries: a literature review

Abstract

This article is a literature review of the aspects of military parachuting related to occupational medicine and focuses on 'conventional' military static line parachuting using a round parachute. The analysis of injuries resulting from military parachuting provide an excellent example of military occupational medicine practice. The techniques of military parachuting are described in order to illustrate the potential mechanisms of injury, and a number of 'classical' parachuting injuries are described. Finally some recommendations are made for the recording of parachute injuries which would assist in the international comparison of injury rates and anatomical distribution.

Human Error: The Principal Cause of Skydiving Fatalities

“…Recent studies of military parachuting accidents and fatalities fail to address the issue of human error directly (Bricknell & Craig, 1999;Craig & Lee, 2000;Mellen & Sohn, 1990). However, the overwhelming use of staticline parachuting techniques rather than free-fall techniques may greatly reduce the occurrence of human error accidents within the military parachuting community.…”

Parachute Use to Prevent Death and Major Trauma Related to Gravitational Challenge: Systematic Review of [randomized] Controlled Trials

“…4 In addition, the use of parachutes is itself associated with morbidity and mortality. [1][2][3]10 This is in part due to failure of the intervention. However, as with all interventions, parachutes are also associated with [atrogenic] complications.…”

“…The perception that parachutes are a successful intervention is based largely on anecdotal evidence. Observational data have shown that their use is associated with morbidity and mortality, due to both failure of the intervention 1,2 and [atrogenic] complications. 3 In addition, "natural history" studies of free fall indicate that failure to take or deploy a parachute does not inevitably result in an adverse outcome.…”

Tratamiento multidisciplinar del traumatismo cervical con fractura de apófisis odontoides en militar: a propósito de un caso

“…El militar pertenece a la Brigada Paracaidista y lleva realizados 27 saltos paracaidistas de tipo automático. Numerosos estudios del ejército estadounidense 6 , británico 7 , francés 8 y australiano 9 muestran lesiones de distinta gravedad en el cuello de tropas paracaidistas. Sarabia 10 analiza los traumatismos en 338 paracaidistas militares españoles, de ellos 5,9% afectaron al cuello (2 graves y 18 leves).…”