Dysbaric Osteonecrosis Screening in Turkish Navy Divers

Autor: Senol Yildiz, Guner Sonmez, Akin Savas Toklu, Maide Cimsit, Gunalp Uzun, Hakan Sezer, Hakan Mutlu, Şamil Aktaş
Rok vydání: 2008
Předmět:
Zdroj: Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. 79:44-46
ISSN: 0095-6562
DOI: 10.3357/asem.2183.2008
Popis: Introduction Dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) is regarded as an occupational disease for caisson workers, commercial, and military divers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was suggested for the surveillance of military divers for DON. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of DON in Turkish Navy divers. Methods The shoulder, hip, and knee joints of 106 male divers were screened for DON with MRI. A questionnaire was used to obtain information about subjects' medical history and diving experience. Results The mean age of divers was 34.3 +/- 5.8 yr. The divers had spent an average of 12.1 +/- 6.1 yr at their occupation. The average of total hours of diving was 834 +/- 458 h. The maximum diving depth was 53.0 +/- 18.4 m (175 +/- 61 ft) and the average diving depth was 13.3 +/- 8.4 m (44 +/- 28 ft). MRI examinations of divers did not reveal bone lesions consistent with osteonecrosis. Discussion We concluded that the risk of DON is very low for military divers who strictly obey the decompression rules and who undergo periodic medical examination. The use of MRI for routine screening of military divers is not justified.
Databáze: OpenAIRE