Civilian parachute injuries; 10 years on and nolessons learned

Matthew Dawson, Mohammed Asghar, Stephen Pryke and Neil SlaterDepartment of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, The Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent,ME16 9QQ, U.K.

The Maidstone Hospital provides trauma services to one of thelargest parachute clubs in the United Kingdom. We studiedinjuries sustained at the club in 1994 and compared resultswith equivalent data from 1984. The injury rate for first timejumpers in the current study was 1.2%; half of these casesrequired admission for an average of 10 d. Individual morbidityand loss of productivity lasted far longer. No lessons had beenlearned from the first study. We question parachuting as afund-raising venture and suggest re-evaluating the training ofnovice parachutists, perhaps with mandatory use of the saferrectangular parachute. At a time when healthcare rationing isan issue, individuals engaging in activities such as these mightbe required to indemnify themselves against the medical costs ofinjury currently met by the state. # 1998 Published by ElsevierScience Ltd. All rights reserved.

Injury, Vol. 29, No. 8, 573±575, 1998

Introduction

In 1986, Straiton and Sterland [1] reported highinjury rates in novice sponsored parachutists at alocal club for the year 1984; the average amountraised for charity per jumper was £208. With over15,000 jumps per annum the club concerned is oneof the largest in the United Kingdom. Over 12% are

first time jumpers, half of whom are jumping forcharity. The club adheres rigidly to current BritishParachute Association standards including its use ofthe conventional round-canopied parachute foralmost all novices.

Method

We retrieved information from the club logbookswhich meticulously record all jumps, injuries sus-tained and the experience of the jumper. We per-formed a retrospective note review over 4 years,studying 1994 in particular. Injured jumpers werecontacted by letter or telephone and answered ques-tions about residual disability, whether the jumpwas for charity, absence from work and its esti-mated financial cost.

Results

Over 4 years the average number of injuries was 28per annum (range 23±36). Each year more than 50%of injuries occurred in first time jumpers, but for2 years novices were involved almost exclusively

Injury Vol. 29, No. 8, pp. 573±575, 1998# 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

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Table I. Annual injuries Ð Headcorn Parachute Club

Year Injury totalInjuries to first-

timers

1989 23 22 (95.7%)1990 23 22 (95.7%)1993 36 19 (52.8%)1994 31 18 (58.1%)

(Insufficient data available to represent 1991/92).

Table II. Incidence of fractures Ð 1994 Ð HeadcornParachute Club

Fracture Number Percentage

Ankle 13 46%Tibia 4 14%Coccyx 3 11%Radius 2 7%Finger 2 7%Vertebra 2 7%Humerus 1 4%Foot 1 4%

(2 patients with more than 1 fracture).

(Table 1). In 1994 there were over 14,000 jumps,more than 10% by first-timers. There were 31 inju-ries, 18 in first-timers. The overall injury rate was0.12% but the rate for first time jumpers was 1.2%.The injury rate for all experienced jumpers was 0.1%including those who had jumped just once before.

Of the 31 jumpers sent to the accident and emer-gency department in 1994, 26 had fractures (Table 2)and 5 had soft tissue injuries. The anatomical break-down of fractures is similar to other series [2, 3] withankle and leg fractures sustained on impact with theground dominating. 14 patients required admissionfor an average of 10 d (range 1±90).

22 jumpers (71%) injured in 1994 answered ourquestionnaire. 8 had jumped for charity raising anaverage of £107. The average time absent from workwas 5 weeks. 5 patients had pain at 6 months.

Discussion

Parachuting is an adventure sport which demandscourage and a measure of skill. Certain individualsare excluded on general health grounds or by failureto fit inside a generous height±weight nomogram.The mandatory training period is 8 hours whichmakes completion of a first jump over a weekendfeasible and doubtless appealing, yet the risk ofinjury to the novice is twelve times that of those

Figure 1. Advertising for charity jumps

Figure 2. The traditional round canopy

574 Injury: International Journal of the Care of the Injured Vol. 29, No. 8, 1998

who have jumped at least once before. The motiv-ation to jump might also be questioned in the lightof persuasive advertising by certain charities whichemphasises bravado but does not mention risk(Figure 1).

Our study shows no improvement in injury ratesin the ten years between the periods analysed andevidently sponsors are becoming less generous! Westress training standards at the club comfortablymatched those of the British Parachute Associationbut question how safe those standards make thesport for the first-timer with particular reference tothe problem of simulating landing in training. Thereis also evidence [4, 5] which suggests the rectangularparachute (Figure 3) adjusted for novices might besafer than the traditional, cheaper round canopy(Figure 2).

The cost of managing patients injured while para-chuting is met by the NHS which can mean a dis-proportionately high bill for a hospital serving sucha large club. In an age when health resources aresqueezed and rationing is discussed or implementedit might be argued that individuals who place them-

selves at high risk of injury, for example a first timeparachute jump, should be indemnified againstmedical costs perhaps by private health insurance.

Presently we feel novice jumpers should be prop-erly informed of the injury risk and likely conse-quences; they should enter the sport for the correctreasons and resist being forced into it.

Acknowledgements

This study would have been impossible without theenthusiastic help of Jane Buckle of HeadcornParachute Club, Headcorn, Kent.

References

1 Straiton N. and Sterland J. Sponsored parachute jumps± can they cause prolonged pain? Brit. J. Sports Med.1986; 20: 60±61.

2 Petras A. F. and Homan E. P. Roentgenographic skel-etal injury patterns in parachute jumping. Am. J. SportsMed. 1983; 11: 325±328.

3 Amamilo S. C., Samuel A. W., Hesketh K. T. andMoynihan F. J. A prospective study of parachute inju-ries in civilians. J. Bone Joint Surg. (Br) B 1987; 69: 17±19.

4 Baldwin C. C. Parachuting injuries and type of para-chute in a reserve rescue unit. Aviat. Space Environ.Med. 1988; 59: 780±782.

5 Ellitsgard N. Injury producing factors in sport para-chuting. J. Sports Med. 1989; 29: 405±409.

Paper accepted 14 October 1997.

Requests for reprints should be addressed to: Mr M. Dawson,Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, TheMaidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, KentME16 9QQ, U.K.

Figure 3. The manoeuvrable rectangular parachute

Dawson et al.: Civilian parachute injuries 575