Musculoskeletal Injuries in Astronauts: Review of Pre-flight, In-flight, Post-flight, and Extravehicular Activity Injuries

AbstractPurpose of the ReviewTo provide a comprehensive review of musculoskeletal injuries in astronauts during pre-flight, in-flight (including extravehicular activity), and post-flight periods. The discussion is inclusive of etiology and nature of the injury, preventative measures, and future considerations.Recent FindingsThe most common injuries were to the hand, shoulder, and back/spine. Patterns and location of injury depend on the phase of flight during which they occurred. Current countermeasures are effective for some concerns, but do not ameliorate all musculoskeletal risks, thus new countermeasure and preventative approaches are warranted in some arenas.SummaryDuring pre-flight preparations, the shoulder is a site with the most concerning injuries, and they occur during extravehicular activity training, usually secondary to interaction with the planar hard upper torso. Suit redesign is under consideration, for both the pre- and in-flight environments. Hand injuries are also common in both pre-flight training and in-flight extravehicular activity. Countermeasures include reducing moisture and protective bandaging of fingertips. Space-adaptation back pain and herniated nucleus pulposus occur in-flight and post-flight, respectively. In-flight exercise countermeasures may mitigate many in-flight and post-flight spinal pathologies. In-flight loss of bone mineral and trabecular architecture can be mediated via both pharmacologic and exercise countermeasures. The advanced ...

Source: Current Pathobiology Reports - July 28, 2018 Category: Laboratory Medicine Source Type: research