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MILITARY STATIC LINE PARACHUTE INJURIES
Author(s) -
Farrow G. B.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1992.tb05465.x
Subject(s) - medicine , poison control , injury prevention , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , case fatality rate , medical emergency , aeronautics , physical therapy , environmental health , population , engineering , pathology
A prospective study of 8886 military static line parachute descents causing 63 injuries including one fatality, is presented. The overall injury rate was 7.1 per 1000 descents. The injury rate was significantly greater when combat equipment was carried (13.7 per IOOO), and greater still with tactical flying and simultaneous door exits (16.6 per 1000). These rates are both higher than those reported in other military studies, and higher than those in civilian studies. However, civilian parachutists sustain more fractures than military parachutists, most likely due to lower standards of fitness and training. The types of injuries which are now sustained have changed markedly from those first seen in the mass parachute deployments of World War Two. Fracture‐dislocation of the shoulder has become the new ‘paratroopers's fracture’. This injury occurs most commonly in descents with cross‐winds of greater than 10 knots.