Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a significant risk of shoulder injuries among astronauts during and after spaceflight. The study, published in JSES International, focused on the impact of space travel on soft tissue in the shoulder, an area previously lacking comprehensive data.
The team collaborated with NASA to analyze data from 242 astronauts, examining their preflight, intra-flight, and postflight records with a focus on upper extremity and shoulder injuries. "The main finding of the study was that astronauts who have been in spaceflight, especially the longer duration they have been in spaceflight, experience higher rates of shoulder injuries, particularly rotator cuff tears – even those that require surgery," stated Dr. Adil Ahmed, corresponding author and assistant professor at Baylor.
Findings indicated that missions lasting six months or more significantly increased the likelihood of shoulder injuries requiring intervention compared to shorter missions. This poses concerns as commercial spaceflight expands and NASA plans long-duration missions to the moon and Mars.
Dr. Ahmed noted that previous research primarily concentrated on bone mineral density loss due to microgravity while neglecting soft tissues like the rotator cuff. In microgravity environments, astronauts rely heavily on their upper bodies for movement since legs are less effective without gravity's pull. Shoulder injuries can impair an astronaut's ability to perform tasks crucial for mission success.
"If they have an injury, there is no way to perform surgery or fix it in space," Ahmed emphasized. "We need to identify the risk factors and make countermeasures for them now before someone gets injured in space."
Despite being physically fit with no pre-existing conditions affecting their upper limbs before flight, astronauts face these risks at higher rates than the general population. Current exercises aboard spacecraft aim at preventing bone density loss but do not specifically target rotator cuff muscles.
One proposed solution is redesigning spacesuits to allow better shoulder mobility since current designs restrict motion needed for tasks performed in space. Additionally, reviewing astronauts' biochemical profiles could offer insights into nutritional factors affecting muscle health.
"Having the appropriate mix of amino acids and protein is very important in the rotator cuff muscles and tendons," said Ahmed.
Further studies are planned to assess soft tissue health during flights as part of efforts to mitigate injury risks on future long-term missions.
"There is a big push to make sure we can find a way to adequately assess these soft tissues intra-flight and in real time," Ahmed concluded.
Contributors to this research include Benjamin Fiedler, Meghana Jami, Srikhar V. Chilukuri, Abdullah Ghali, and Todd Phillips.
