Body regions susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries in Canadian Armed Forces pilots

Abstract: Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKi) are a significant burden on military pilots. Exploring which body regions are most affected by MSKi and describing injury types is essential for developing preventative strategies. Additionally, gaining insight into between-sex differences may serve as a valuable component of MSKi prevention strategies as the number of female pilots is rapidly increasing. PURPOSE This study is a preliminary investigation of potential sex differences in MSKi rates and regions in actively-serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) pilots.

METHODS Members of the CAF completed an online cross-sectional survey to capture information about MSKi risks. For the present study, participants who indicated they were actively serving pilots were included. Chi-square analyses were used to evaluate questionnaire items that identified type and region of MSKi to compare response frequency by sex (significance accepted as P < 0.05). RESULTS Seventy-three respondents identified as pilots, of which 53 were male (35.6 + 7.2yrs) and 20 were female (39.9 + 11.1yrs). Figure 1 describes the rates of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) per body region. CONCLUSION RSI rates appear higher for female CAF pilots, and between-sex differences exist in body regions most affected by MSKi. Further research is needed to guide strategies to address sex-disparities and reduce the overall burden of MSKi among CAF pilots.