Review of the Belgian and the Netherlands National Work Programme on the Long Term Effects of Sustained High G on the Cervical Spine Functional Assessments of the Cervical Spine in F-16 Pilots – an Overview

Neck pain in association with the dynamic work environment of the fighter pilot is a well-discussed issue. Spinal symptoms in these pilots were recognized as a serious aero medical problem. Often described contributing factors of neck pain in this population are head movements under high +Gz load, seat-back angle, forward bent posture, head worn equipment, the use of night vision goggles and numbers of flight hours [4, 5, 7]. This study was a collaboration of The Belgian Air Force and The Royal Netherlands Air Force; they both operate the F-16 Fighting Falcon. A battery of tests was developed for the functional assessment of the cervical spine, to provide a proper preventive training program for fighter pilots. This study was based on the injury prevention research by Van Mechelen et al. (Figure 2.1). According to the literature, lack of muscular force and endurance of the cervical spine could be one of the main risk factors causing neck pain [1, 2]. Although, other motor control impairments such as delayed reaction times, lack of range of motion, poor proprioception or muscular coordination and muscular imbalance could also play an important role in the occurrence of neck pain. Furthermore, psychosocial factors are also associated with neck pain. This report describes the methods used to identify the vulnerabilities within the functionality of the neck and presents the preliminary results.