ArticleBMJ military health2023
Degenerative cervical spine changes among early career fighter pilots: a 5-year follow-up.
Article in BMJ military health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predicting cervical muscle forces in fighter pilots: a comparison of shear wave elastography and PID controllers using finite element analysis.Annals of biomedical engineering · 2026Article
- Injury thresholds and early-warning biomarkers for horizontal acceleration induced cervical damage in New Zealand rabbits.American journal of translational research · 2026Article
- Association Between Cumulative G-force Exposure and Cervical Spine Degenerative Changes.Military medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDegenerative changes of the cervical spine often cause disability and flight duty limitations among Finnish Air Force (FINAF) fighter pilots. We aimed to study the effect of +Gz exposure on degenerative changes in the cervical spine by comparing cervical MRIs of FINAF fighter pilots and controls.
methodsAt baseline, the volunteer study population consisted of 56 20-year-old FINAF male fighter pilots (exposure group) and 56 21-year-old Army and Navy cadets (control group). Both groups underwent MRI of the cervical spine at the baseline and after 5 years. Degenerative changes evaluated using MRI included intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (Pfirrmann classification), disc herniations, uncovertebral arthrosis, Schmorl's nodes, Modic changes, spinal canal stenosis, kyphosis and scoliosis.
resultsThe degree of IVD degeneration in the whole cervical spine increased significantly in both populations with no between-group differences. The prevalence of disc herniations also tended to increase in both populations with no difference in the incidence over the follow-up. However, pilots proved to have more disc herniations at the baseline and at the follow-up. There were virtually no between-group differences in other assessed degenerative changes. DISCUSSION: We found that IVD degeneration and the prevalence of disc herniations increased at a similar rate for fighter pilots and non-flying military students when all cervical levels were summed up. The lack of difference may be explained by the relatively low cumulative +Gz exposure during the first 5 years of a pilots' career.
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