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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Comparison of parachute landing injury incidence between standard and low porosity parachutes.

Deployment of personnel by parachute is a common practice in many types of operations, both in and out of the military. Such operations are not without hazard and are associated with injuries which commonly occur during the landing phase of deployment. Environmental factors (i.e., wind and terrain) together with parachute sink rate are thought to influence the incidence of landing injuries. This study compared the incidence of overall landing injury and landing injury by parachute type in 8,706 jumps over 3 years between 1988 and 1990 between a standard porosity round canopy and a lower sink rate low porosity round canopy. In all cases the low porosity parachute group experienced significantly (p = 0.007) fewer overall injuries and fewer injuries of every type (reductions of 77% in 1988, 81% in 1989, and 94% in 1990). Reduction of sink rate by even small amounts correlates with significant (p less than 0.001) injury incidence reductions on the basis of reduced kinetic energy dissipation. Low porosity parachutes should be adopted where appropriate to reduce sink rate and hence landing injuries. Flight surgeons associated with airborne operations and who are familiar with these data can play a significant role in reducing parachute landing injuries.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1988

Parachuting injuries and type of parachute in a reserve rescue unit.

Over a 57-month period, 3,246 parachute jumps were performed in an air rescue reserve unit. During this time, the unit transitioned from a round static line parachute to a rectangular free falling parachute. The rates of 11 injuries per 1000 jumps and 600 lost man days per 1000 jumps were reduced to zero after the introduction of the new parachute.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1999

Parachuting for charity: is it worth the money? A 5-year audit of parachute injuries in Tayside and the cost to the NHS.

All parachute injuries from two local parachute centres over a 5-year period were analysed. Of 174 patients with injuries of varying severity, 94% were first-time charity-parachutists. The injury rate in charity-parachutists was 11% at an average cost of 3751 Pounds per casualty. Sixty-three percent of casualties who were charity-parachutists required hospital admission, representing a serious injury rate of 7%, at an average cost of 5781 Pounds per patient. The amount raised per person for charity was 30 Pounds. Each pound raised for charity cost the NHS 13.75 Pounds in return. Parachuting for charity costs more money than it raises, carries a high risk of serious personal injury and places a significant burden on health resources.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1984

Reduction of military high-altitude parachute entanglement using the controlled alternating parachute exit system.

The phenomenon of high-altitude parachute entanglement (HAE) results when two paratroopers have both a simultaneous and weak exit from the jump doors. They are then caught in the aircraft's slipstream and collision and entanglement follow. To avoid this phenomenon, the Controlled Alternating Parachute Exit System (CAPES) was introduced. CAPES focused upon manipulation of the exit technique to eliminate simultaneous paratrooper exit. Data from 90,894 consecutive parachute jumps revealed that the CAPES is highly successful in reducing te rate of high-altitude entanglement and the associated injury rate. CAPES seems to reduce the mid-altitude entanglement (MAE) and its injury rate but the results did not reach statistical significance as measured by chi square technique. The rate of landing or ground injuries, was essentially unchanged by the CAPES.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1994

Relationship between the parachute reactions and standing and walking in normal infants.

Assumption of the vertical position and independent walking are potentially hazardous motor milestones in the developing infant. It has been presumed that the parachute reactions evolved to protect infants from injury during this developmental stage. To determine the relationship between the appearance of the upper and lower parachute reactions and the developmental milestones of unsupported standing and independent walking, 190 normal infants were prospectively studied. The upper parachute reaction was found to precede the lower by less than a month (mean age of appearance: 8.9 and 9.2 months, respectively). More than one-half of the cohort achieved standing without either the upper (49%) or lower parachute reaction (57%); however, no independent walking occurred without the upper parachute reaction, and only 2 of 190 infants (1%) walked independently without the lower parachute reaction. Onset of walking occurred about 4 months after the appearance of the upper parachute reaction. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1999

Military parachuting injuries: a literature review.

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.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1999

Is service with the parachute regiment bad for your health?

Military parachuting is perceived to be a 'high risk' activity. The estimate of risk should be based on a comparison of injury rates between soldiers who are military parachutists and soldiers who are not military parachutists rather than the rate of injury per parachute descent. Since other aspects of military life also have an inherent risk of injury the risk attributable to military parachuting must be assessed in this context. The aim of this paper is to determine whether Parachute Regiment soldiers have a greater risk of injury as compared with non-Parachute Regiment infantry soldiers by comparing rates of hospital admission and medical discharge between the two groups. Records at the Defence Analytical Services Agency were analysed for the 10-year period 1987-96. The mean rate of hospital admission for Parachute Regiment soldiers was 50.1 per 1,000 and for infantry soldiers was 50.8 per 1,000 [relative risk (RR) = 0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.92-1.04). The mean rate of medical discharge for Parachute Regiment soldiers was 4.9 per 1,000 and for infantry the mean rate was 2.8 per 1,000 (RR = 1.76; CI = 1.45-2.15). This study has shown a methodology for comparing occupational exposure to risk that could be extended to other groups if they can be separated by appropriate criteria.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1989

Injury producing factors in sport parachuting.

On the basis of a study of the literature and a description of the parachute jump, the injury producing factors of civil parachuting is described. The majority of injury happens during landing; the assuming of a correct "prepare to land attitude" and the execution of a good parachute landing fall may prevent a great part of the injuries to the spine and the lower extremities. The factors mentioned are often correlated to ignorance, inexperience or to willful neglect of current regulations. A revision of the education of student parachuters and instructors in order to meet the same quality demands in all parachuting centres is proposed. Safer parachutes and a simplification of the parachute landing fall may also reduce the incidence of casualties.

Athletic Injuries↗
PubMed1997

The parachute-like asymmetric mitral valve and its two papillary muscles.

OBJECTIVES: The morphologic features of parachute-like asymmetric mitral valves are described to discriminate this anomaly from parachute mitral valves. BACKGROUND: Mitral valves with unifocal attachment of chords have been called "parachute valves," independent of the number of papillary muscles. Therefore the anomaly involving two papillary muscles has not received separate attention. METHODS: The gross anatomy of 29 mitral valves with focalized attachment of chords was studied. RESULTS: In 28 of the autopsy specimens asymmetric mitral valves with two papillary muscles were present, and one of the muscles was elongated, located higher in the left ventricle with its tip reaching to the anulus, and attached at both its base and lateral side to the left ventricular wall. The valve leaflets could be directly attached to this abnormal muscle that received few chords or, in three hearts, no chords at all, resulting in an oblique and eccentric orifice. Because of the focalized attachment of chords to one of the two papillary muscles, we call this malformation "parachute-like asymmetric mitral valve," We found only one "true parachute mitral valve," that is, one having a single papillary muscle that received all chords. CONCLUSIONS: The morphologic features of asymmetric mitral valves are essentially different from those of true parachute valves. A distinction between these two anomalies will contribute to recognition by the pediatric cardiologist and surgeon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Development of the papillary muscles of the mitral valve: morphogenetic background of parachute-like asymmetric mitral valves and other mitral valve anomalies.

OBJECTIVES: To understand papillary muscle malformations, such as in parachute mitral valves or parachute-like asymmetric mitral valves, we studied the development of papillary muscles. METHODS: Normal human hearts at between 5 and 19 weeks of development were studied with immunohistochemistry, three-dimensional reconstructions, and gross inspection. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study human and rat hearts. RESULTS: In embryonic hearts a prominent horseshoe-shaped myocardial ridge runs from the anterior wall through the apex to the posterior wall of the left ventricle. In the atrioventricular region this ridge is continuous with atrial myocardium and covered with cushion tissue. The anterior and posterior parts of the trabecular ridge enlarge and loosen their connections with the atrial myocardium. Their lateral sides gradually delaminate from the left ventricular wall, and the continuity between the two parts is incorporated in the apical trabecular network. In this way the anterior and posterior parts of the ridge transform into the anterolateral and the posteromedial papillary muscles, respectively. Simultaneously, the cushions remodel into valve leaflets and chordae. Only the chordal part of the cushions remains attached to the developing papillary muscles. CONCLUSIONS: Disturbed delamination of the anterior or posterior part of the trabecular ridge from the ventricular wall, combined with underdevelopment of chordae, seems to be the cause of asymmetric mitral valves. Parachute valves, however, develop when the connection between the posterior and anterior part of the ridge condenses to form one single papillary muscle. Thus parachute valves and parachute-like asymmetric mitral valves originate in different ways.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Parachuting injuries: a study of 110,000 sports jumps.

A study was undertaken to examine the type, location, incidence and mechanism of injury sustained by amateur parachutists in Denmark during a five-year-period. A total of 110,000 parachute jumps resulted in six (0.005%) fatalities and 155 (0.14%) cases, requiring medical treatment. The latter group sustained 176 injuries of which 36.9% were significant soft tissue lesions and 63.1% fractures. Landing is the most dangerous part of the parachuting procedure, causing 83.8% of the accidents, while 9.3% were caused by faults during opening of the parachute. Based on the injury pattern, some modifications to the procedures and equipment are mentioned. A simplification of the parachute landing fall and the development of safer parachutes may reduce the incidence of casualties. An enforcement of the present regulations is necessary as many injuries are the result of noncompliance with regulations due to ignorance, inexperience or carelessness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether parachutes are effective in preventing major trauma related to gravitational challenge. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases; appropriate internet sites and citation lists. STUDY SELECTION: Studies showing the effects of using a parachute during free fall. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Death or major trauma, defined as an injury severity score > 15. RESULTS: We were unable to identify any randomised controlled trials of parachute intervention. CONCLUSIONS: As with many interventions intended to prevent ill health, the effectiveness of parachutes has not been subjected to rigorous evaluation by using randomised controlled trials. Advocates of evidence based medicine have criticised the adoption of interventions evaluated by using only observational data. We think that everyone might benefit if the most radical protagonists of evidence based medicine organised and participated in a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover trial of the parachute.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed2003

Degenerative disease in lumbar spine of military parachuting instructors.

Parachuting, be it static line or skydiving, places enormous stresses on the human spine. It is, therefore, important to determine the prevalence and severity of degenerative changes in the lumbar spine of subjects who practice this sport activity. Seventy four parachuting instructors, mean age 33 years and with an average of 410 static line and skydiving jumps, were included in the study. Past radiographs were examined and compared to current anterolateral and lateral views of the lumbar spine, in order to determine the prevalence of degenerative changes and document possible progression. Doubtful radiographic changes in the lumbar spine were identified in 47.4 percent of the parachuting instructors, mild degeneration in 9.6 percent, moderate degenerative disease in 10.9 percent and severe radiographic changes in 5.5 percent. Schmorll nodes were found in 8.1 percent of the subjects. Traction spurs--osteophytes were identified in 6.8 percent. The degenerative changes correlated with age and the number of jumps. Spondylolysis of L5-S1 and L3-L4 segments were observed in 12.2 and 1.4 percent respectively. Progressive spondylolisthesis was found in 2 subjects. No correlation was found between the severity of radiographic changes and either the prevalence and the severity of low back pain. The present findings provide a rational for considering repeated sheer stress as an etiology of degenerative changes in the spinal cord, and as a possible contributing factor to the pathogenesis of spondylolysis. Further study has to be done comparing parachuting instructors to a non-parachuting group, or equivalent physically active individuals, in order to assess the effect of sport-background on the development of degenerative changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Sports-medical studies on parachute jumpers with particular reference to the behavior of heart rate.

The aim of the experiment was to record the heart rate tracings of three groups of parachutists - with manually operated parachutes, automatically operated parachutes and formation parachutists (sky divers) - during the jump and to compare these with the findings obtained during bicycle ergometer stress tests. A total of 112 parachute jumps involving 31 subjects were evaluated. All the subjects exhibited a significant increase in heart rate during the exit, canopy opening and landing phases. Qualitatively, the heart rate curves of the formation, manual and automatic parachutists showed a similar trend. Rises in heart rate during the opening of the parachute (for the formation parachutists) and during landing (for the automatic parachutists) were, however, particularly pronounced. The increase in heart rate can be principally ascribed to emotional tension and a state of anticipation rather than to physical stress. The comparative evaluation of the ergometer tests showed that as a general rule stress factors in the submaximal region occur during parachuting, but that in extreme situations heart rates in the maximal region of physical stress may well be expected.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Parachuting: a sport of chance and expense.

This paper seeks to determine the cost to the NHS associated with treating parachute-related injuries. More specifically, it compares the training received by civilians to that received by military personnel together with the types of parachutes used or the type of jump. It also reviews the information given to civilian jumpers prior to their first jump. Fifty-three jumpers suffered injuries in the period under review. Of these, 32 cases with 41 injuries were transferred to Accident and Emergency Department for treatment. Injuries involved most of the musculoskeletal system. Twenty-six (n=32) patients were admitted for treatment, with an average length of hospital stay of 6.8 days. Post-discharge, the length of time lost from work was 42.8 days. The cost to the NHS was calculated at pound 4026.50 per patient treated. This did not include time lost from work, subsequent follow up or any other secondary procedures. Civilian parachute jumpers were trained for 6.5h compared to 31.5h for military personnel. Twenty-seven patients used rectangular rather than circular parachutes. Thirty of the 41 injuries occurred during static line jumps, with 7 occurring during tandem jumps and only 5 during free-fall jumps. Twenty-three of the 32 jumpers sustained the injury during their first jump. First-time civilian jumpers were given a minimum of information regarding risks and injuries prior to their jump and were inadequately insured against potential injuries. The cost of caring for these patients is substantial when compared to the money that is raised for charity during some of the jumps. Private insurance, with the NHS legally able to claim expenses would help to offset these medical costs. It is also possible that by increasing civilian training, there may be a reduction in the number of injuries sustained by first-time civilian jumpers from 1.1 to 1.2% (11% in charity jumps) to the military figures of 0.22-0.89%.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1997

Adrenocortical responses to repeated parachute jumping and subsequent h-CRH challenge in inexperienced healthy subjects.

The present study examined the adrenocortical response to 3 consecutive parachute jumps and a poststress h-CRH challenge. Fifteen participants in a parachute-jumping course took saliva samples for later cortisol analysis every 20 min throughout the day, when they accomplished their very first 3 parachute jumps and throughout a control day. The effects of an h-CRH challenge on salivary cortisol were assessed in the evening of the jumping day and on a control day. Parachute jumping induced 3 distinct highly significant adrenocortical responses. The respective cortisol increases for the first, second, and third jump were 39.4 +/- 26.5 nmol/1, 31.4 +/- 21.4 nmol/l, and 16.5 +/- 11.9 nmol/l. Cortisol responses to the first and second jump did not differ but the response to the third jump was significantly reduced [t(13) = 3.11; p = 0.008]. Two groups of subjects were identified, "decreasers," whose response decreased from one to the other jump, and "increasers," whose response remained unchanged or increased. The magnitude of the preceding cortisol response of decreasers exceeded that of increasers significantly by about 30 nmol. The mean adrenocortical effects of the poststress h-CRH challenge and the time-matched challenge on a control day did not differ although, in 4 subjects, the poststress adrenocortical response to h-CRH was completely suppressed.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1978

The development of the parachute reaction: a visuo-vestibular response.

The development of the parachute reaction as a postural response has been tested under various optic stimuli in normal and statomotorically retarded infants. Complete reaction consists in symmetric extension of the arms with extension and spreading of the fingers on quick approach to visual surface. Using a glass plate with three different sized stimulus patterns the parachute response is scored as complete or incomplete. The complete reaction to large visual surface develops significantly earlier than to small visual surface. The response also requires simultaneously a visual and a vestibular sensory input. The developmental course of the parachute reaction is statistically significant linear correlated in double logarithmic transformation to the stimulus pattern and to the age indicating a complex biological maturating process. When the whole retinal area was stimulated by moving visual scenes similar to normal environmental conditions the reaction starts with about 4 months of age and is fully developed from 9 months onwards. The time of quickest development is around 6.3 months of age, a period where locomotor abilities shift from horizontal postiion to active verticalisation of the body. In statomotorically retarded infants the response develops significantly later according to their active motor behaviour. Brain integration and computing centers of sensory afferent input could be multilevel from reticular formation to cerebral cortex, wherein the latter, probable the parietal lobe should play the major role. It is concluded that the parachute reaction results from a combined visuovestibular mechanism of interaction in connection with sufficient kinesthetic experience in visuo-motor behaviour.

Age Factors↗