Knee and Spine surgeries 35-45 years after skydiving.

[Osceola1968-70 1]

I made 200 jumps in 1968-70. Most of them at Osceola WI. The only injury noted back then was a broken leg. Since the early 1980's I have dealt with a compressed disc in my neck treating it with exercises and shots. In 2006 I had both knees replaced because all the cartilage was gone. This year at age 70 I had spinal fusion surgery to fuse my lumbar vertebrae (L3, L4 and L5) together because the discs between the vertebrae were gone and L4 was misaaligned. I have attached an X-ray of the spinal surgery result. The neurosurgeon did a great job.

It seems to me that compared to others my age I am having more than normal issues like these. I am wondering if it is just age or did all those hard landings, trying to get a trophy, contribute? If the jumps did contribute then people in the sport should be aware of this potential price to be paid later on, down the road.

[mcordell 2]

But...we don't jump that gear anymore and the landings are not the same as they were

www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

[kuai43 7]

Ok, so you're 65/70 years old? It's pretty much just old age.

Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal

Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man. - Anthony Burgess

[darkwing 4]

I started in 1973, and made 500 jumps on round canopies. Many more jumps since. Old age sucks. Old age where you have no pleasures to look back on sucks more.

Pretty much impossible to say if your skydiving is a causal factor in your current physical condition. Even if I was convinced that my aches and pains or worse were caused by skydiving, I'm pretty sure I'd say it was worth it.

Your real question could only be answered by an epidemiological study, which isn't going to happen, and it wouldn't address it for your particular case anyway.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[riggerrob 558]

The first time I herniated a spinal disk, the doctor blamed it on old age, while I blamed it on helping my brother build a rock wall.
The second time I herniated a spinal disc, my doctor blamed it on a airplane crash.

In between those two injuries I made 5,000 jumps, mostly tandems. Tandem landings can be brutal on instructors when students "invent" new landing techniques.

[Krip 2]

Osceola1968-70

I made 200 jumps in 1968-70. Most of them at Osceola WI. The only injury noted back then was a broken leg. Since the early 1980's I have dealt with a compressed disc in my neck treating it with exercises and shots. In 2006 I had both knees replaced because all the cartilage was gone. This year at age 70 I had spinal fusion surgery to fuse my lumbar vertebrae (L3, L4 and L5) together because the discs between the vertebrae were gone and L4 was misaaligned. I have attached an X-ray of the spinal surgery result. The neurosurgeon did a great job.

It seems to me that compared to others my age I am having more than normal issues like these. I am wondering if it is just age or did all those hard landings, trying to get a trophy, contribute? If the jumps did contribute then people in the sport should be aware of this potential price to be paid later on, down the road.

I started in the same time frame you did we probably jumped the same gear but I only weighed 135 lbs. Even on rounds we were able to get stand ups if we weren't getting blown backwards to fast.

I wasn't a landing expert I was a light weight.

And yes I also broke a ankle . I was being stupid. But the arthritis that the Dr predicted never developed.

Every one will get OLD it's contagious unless they die first. If i knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of my body. Did you have to hump a big heavy over loaded rucksack for the army? PLAY football in college, etc etc.

Thanks for the X ray you've been screwed 3 times. That's all I'm qualified to say.
The Dr's are younger than us. I'm scared of those guys. No

Damn your 2 yrs older than me. Oh well that's part of old, I can hardly wait to deal with a Dr. But you must have been in serious pain. Any family history of bone problems? Car accidents.?

Good luck, nice car. Have a happy.

One Jump Wonder

[Osceola1968-70 1]

Actually I was screwed six times, see rear view X-ray image attached.