Low back pain in the AH-1 Cobra helicopter

P. Froom, R. Hanegbi, J. Ribak, M. Gross

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pilots of the AH-1S helicopter maintain a vertical sitting position in the gunner's position (front seat), whereas in the pilot's seat (rear), they lean forward and to the left in order to operate the controls. A cross over study with pilots flying alternatively in the front and rear positions was used to assess the effect of crew position on the prevalence of low back pain during flight. In the pilot's seat, there was an increased prevalence of pain (72.2%, 13/18 versus 55.6%, 10/18); the onset of pain was quicker than experienced in the gunner's position (64.3%, 9/14 versus 7.1%, 1/14, p<0.001); and the intensity was greater (85.7%, 12/14 versus 7.1%, 1/14, p<0.001). We conclude that posture is an important component of the low back pain experienced by helicopter pilots during flight.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)315-318
Number of pages4
JournalAviation Space and Environmental Medicine
Volume58
Issue number4
StatePublished - 1987
Externally publishedYes

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