Effects of Flight-Exposure and Age on Cervical and Trunk Musculoskeletal Characteristics in Army Helicopter Pilots

Due to flight-exposure and age, cervical and trunk musculoskeletal characteristics of military helicopter pilots may gradually deteriorate, increasing the risk of neck pain/low back pain. The purpose of this study was to compare cervical and trunk strength, flexibility, and posture among groups of pilots based on flight-exposure (total flight-hours) and age. A total of 115 male helicopter pilots participated in laboratory testing and were divided into five exposure-groups (EXP): EXP 1(0 – 999 hours, N=61), EXP 2 (1000 – 1999 hours, N=22), EXP 3 (2000 – 2999 hours, N=17), EXP 4 (3000 – 3999 hours, N=8), and EXP 5 (4000+hours, N=7). For age-related analyses, the same participants were divided into five age-groups (AGE): AGE 1 (20 – 24 years, N=10), AGE 2 (25 – 29 years, N=38), AGE 3 (30 – 34 years, N=26), AGE 4 (35 – 39 years, N=22), and AGE 5 (40+years, N=19). Laboratory testing included cervical and trunk muscular strength, cervical/lumbar spine range-of-motion (ROM), and posture. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis tests with post-hoc analyses were used to compare groups (p<0.05). When compared to the pilots in EXP 1 and 2, the pilots in EXP 3, 4, and 5 had significantly reduced cervical strength, cervical/lumbar spine ROM, and increased pectoralis minor tightness (p=0.001 – 0.049). Based on the analyses among the AGE groups, the pilots in AGE 5 had significantly less cervical/lumbar spine ROM and increased forward head/shoulder posture (p=0.001 – 0.042). The current findings confirmed exposure-/age-related musculoskeletal changes, especially pilots with over 3000 hours and 40+years. It is important for clinicians and pilots to implement strategic intervention programs to minimize exposure-/age-related decrements in an effort to reduce NP/LBP in pilots.