Recently, there have been efforts to measure the severity of parachute opening shock as an additional potential risk factor for injury however, no studies have measured both head and body accelerations and no studies have measured head or body angular rate during parachute opening shock. In addition, the survey indicated that wing loading (a measure of the jumper’s weight divided by the size of the parachute canopy) was a potential contributing factor for developing musculoskeletal pain. A recent epidemiological survey of sport skydivers showed that the neck, shoulders, and back were the most frequently reported sites of musculoskeletal pain.
During parachute opening shock and other high-acceleration events (e.g., fixed wing flight or vehicle crashes), the neck may be vulnerable to injury if inertial loads overcome the voluntary muscular control of the cervical spine and soft tissue structures. A significant amount of research surrounding airborne operations has focused on assessing the incidence and type of associated injuries as well as the potential risk factors for injuries. Military airborne operations are physically demanding activities with a unique loading environment compared with normal duties.
Army conducts airborne operations in order to insert soldiers into combat.
