Page 47 - JSOM Fall 2024

The primary goal of the study was to determine the rate at Results
which examinees for airborne training are deemed medically
unacceptable due to radiological findings by anterior-posterior Demographics
standing full-spine X-ray. During the study period, a total of 4,515 enlisted personnel
attended the IMTCC for initial training. Enlisted men and
women who went through initial training twice (n=72) for
The secondary goal is to follow up with troops enlisted for
airborne training who were given waivers despite not meeting different reasons were excluded. When full-spine X-rays were
medical standards of fitness and determine whether they had repeated, the radiological interpretation with the better assess-
since experienced back pain at 5 years after training. ment was kept.
Uncompleted files (n=18) and medical files of enlisted person-
Methods nel who did not undergo the X-ray examination (n=310) were
excluded. Those included enlisted personnel deemed medically
Study Design
This retrospective, epidemiological, cross-sectional single- center unacceptable for clinical reasons (n=39), and enlisted person-
study was conducted over a 5-year period, between September nel who did not undergo initial training and were discharged
2011 and July 2016, at the Initial Military Training Center of on request during their probation period (n=271).
Caylus (IMTCC). All paratroopers from all French airborne
regiments undertake their initial military training course at the Of the 4,115 enlisted personnel who underwent full-spine
IMTCC. X-ray examination, 122 were deemed medically unacceptable
for other reasons and were excluded. The enlisted personnel
who benefited from full-spine X-ray examination but were
Data Collection
All airborne enlisted troops who attended the IMTCC be- granted a discharge on request during their probation period
tween 1 September 2011 and 31 July 2016 were included in were included because they were medically acceptable for stat-
this study. Inclusion criteria for subjects were an acceptable ic-line jumps. A total of 3,993 soldiers were included in this
initial assessment and being considered medically acceptable analysis (Figure 2).
for airborne service at the entrance evaluation. Exclusion
criteria were incomplete files, absence of full-spine X-ray be- FIGURE 2 Study inclusion flowchart.
fore French Airborne School, enlisted troops who did not go
through the initial training course, and enlisted service person- Enlisted personnel at IMTCC for IT
N=4,515
nel who went through initial training twice.
Enlisted personnel who went through IT twice
The electronic or paper medical file of each included enlisted n=72
servicemember was analyzed. For the medically unaccept- Incomplete files
able, the cause of the medical unfitness was identified in the n=18
same file. Enlisted personnel who did not
undergo X-ray examination
We conducted an analysis of the full-spine X-ray results at n=310
the Caylus medical center between 1 September 2011 and 31
July 2016. The information gathered included the military Enlisted personnel who Medically unacceptable
unit of the enlisted person, their gender and date of birth, did not go through IT and for clinical reasons
and the radiological criteria listed for unfitness in MI 700: discharged on request n=39
lateralization and grade of scoliosis, associated rotation of n=271
the vertebrae, dorsal kyphosis with angle above 50°, spondy- Enlisted personnel who underwent
lolysis with spondylolisthesis of all grades, signs of Scheuer- full spine X-ray examination
mann disease sequelae, and pelvic tilt when noted by the n=4,115
radiologist. Medically unacceptable
for other reasons
n=122
Secondary evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon enabled 23
enlisted personnel, deemed medically unacceptable because Enlisted personnel included
of X-ray findings (MI 700), to be given waivers for airborne n=3,993
training. A follow-up review of their 23 files was conducted to
determine whether static-line parachute jumps were hazardous At enlistment, candidates are aged between 16 and 32 years (mean,
20.4y; median, 20y). Women represent less than 4% of the study pop-
to the health of people who were initially declared medically ulation (n=132).
unacceptable. IMTCC = Initial Military Training Center of Caylus; IT = initial
training.
Statistical Analysis
All statistical analyses were performed using Excel 2013 soft- Characteristics of Full-spine X-ray Exams
ware (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). The quantitative values were Of the 3,993 full-spine X-rays, 99.2% (3,961) were performed
shown as average values and qualitative variables were shown at the Military Teaching Hospital Robert Picqué of Bordeaux,
as percentages. and 32 were performed at a civilian X-ray clinic.

Ethics Of the 3,993 full-spine X-rays, 67.5% (2,695) were described
All participants were informed of and agreed to participate in as having normal alignment and structure; 21.8% (871) had a
the study during their medical assessment at the IMTCC. lateral deviation of the spine; and 10.7% (427) had scoliosis.

Radiological Assessment in French Paratrooper Training: A 5-Year Study | 45