Correlation analysis of deviation of the spinous process and prognosis of fighter aviators with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation

Abstract：Objective To clarify the correlation of deviation of the spinous process and flight performance restoring of fighter aviators with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation through a retrospective analysis of patients' data, and to discuss its feasibility as reference index for evaluation of fighter aviators.Methods This study reviewed medical records of 31 fighter aviators who were in hospital for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation in the Department of TCM Manipulative Orthopedics of Air Force General Hospital from September 2006 to April 2013. Their grading of health condition of low back pre-treatment and post-treatment was confirmed respectively. Follow-up visit was performed in 20 fighter aviators identified with suitable or temporarily unsuitable for flight when leaving hospital. Correlation between grading of health condition of low back post-treatment and flight performance restoring was analyzed with crosstabs-statistics.Results There was significant difference in the grading of health condition of low back between groups of suitable and unsuitable for flight(χ2=24.000,P=0.00). Significant difference in the grading of health condition of low back was also found in the groups of returning to flying and stopping flying through follow-up visit(χ2=-15.000,P=0.00). Conclusion There was correlation between flight performance restoring and the grading of health condition of low back based on the deviation of the spinous process. Therefore, the grading is helpful for the evaluation of fighter aviators with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.