Roentgenographic skeletal injury patterns in parachute jumping

Abstract

A total of 90,000 parachute jumps made during a 1 year period resulted in 615 (0.68%) injuries secondary to jumping. Of these 615 cases, 70 jumpers (0.08%) had 71 skeletal injuries as confirmed by roentgenographic examination. Forty-one (57.7%) of the 71 injuries involved the ankle, and 12 (16.9%) were compression fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. The remaining injuries were distributed as follows: shoulder, six (8.5%); calf, six (8.5%); pelvis, 3 (4.2%); foot, two (2.8%); and thigh, one (1.4%). The various mechanisms leading to these injuries are presented.