Dysbaric Osteonecrosis in Divers

Book excerpt: The Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory is conducting a radiological survey to determine the prevalence of dysbaric osteonecrosis in U.S. Navy Divers and to develop epidemiological data related to those aspects of the hyperbaric environment that contribute to the ultimate occurrence of the lesions. Twelve juxta-articular lesions and nine head, neck or shaft lesions have been identified in the extremities of fifteen divers who are radiologically positive cases of dysbaric osteonecrosis among 611 non-randomly selected divers surveyed. While the number of positive cases is too small to draw statistically reliable conclusions, certain trends are evident. Lesions were most common in the shoulders and in older divers. Saturation divers and all other helium divers had almost the same percentage of positive cases but air divers had a slightly lower percentage than either group. Data derived from an enlarging survey population should provide additional insight into the epidemiology of the condition