Military Parachuting Injuries among Male and Female Cadet Pilots: A Prospective Study of 59,932 Jumps

Abstract

To explore the injury mechanism and prevent injuries for the military parachuting of cadet pilots, this paper investigated the injury risk factors. A prospective study of 59,932 static line parachute descents by Chinese People’s Liberation Army cadet pilots (CPLACP), including 186 female cadet pilots with 391 jumps, was performed. Injury risk factors from administrative records included mental qualities, parachuting movements, surface wind speed, protective boots, and gender. Injury data were obtained from emergency room and hospital records. The study indicates that 153 CPLACP were injured, with a total of 168 injuries. The overall injury incidence on basic courses was 2.6/1000 jumps. About 79.7% of the injuries were located in the lower limbs. The most commonly injured sites were ankle and knee, which was 39.3% and 19.0%, respectively, of all injuries occurred. Although the parachuting injury incidence of cadet pilots is smaller than paratroopers’, the potential risk for career-threatening or life-threatening injury is great. This risk can be reduced by appropriate training and attention to detail.