CERVICAL DISK BULGES IN FIGHTER PILOTS

This paper reports three cases of bulging cervical disks among fighter pilots flying high-performance aircraft who experienced acute in-flig ht neck pain during aerial combat maneuvers under high +Gz forces. Rad iographic investigations (magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomograp hy/myelography) revealed that disk bulges were the cause of the pain. One pilot underwent decompressive surgery, and two were treated conser vatively. Acute in-flight neck pain and related problems, such as bulg ing cervical disks, may become more common, since the modern fighter a ircraft of the future will be better able to create and sustain high Gz forces than the fighter aircraft in use today. Further, the increas ing number of helmet-mounted devices will make flight helmets heavier, thus placing increased stress on cervical structures.