Return-to-active-duty rates after anterior cervical spine surgery in military pilots
Abstract
Symptomatic cervical spondylosis with or without radiculopathy can ground an active-duty military pilot if left untreated. Surgically treated cervical spondylosis may be a waiverable condition and allow return to flying status, but a waiver is based on expert opinion and not on recent published data. Previous studies on rates of return to active duty status following anterior cervical spine surgery have not differentiated these rates among military specialty occupations. No studies to date have documented the successful return of US military active-duty pilots who have undergone anterior cervical spine surgery with cervical fusion, disc replacement, or a combination of the two. The aim of this study was to identify the rate of return to an active duty flight status among US military pilots who had undergone anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or total disc replacement (TDR) for symptomatic cervical spondylosis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.3171/2018.9.focus18380
Entities
People
- Charles A. Miller
- Chris J. Neal
- Daniel J. Coughlin
- Jason H. Boulter
- Michael K. Rosner
- Michael S. Dirks
Organizations
- George Washington University
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center