ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In microgravity, muscle atrophy occurs in the intrinsic muscles of the spine, with changes also observed in the abdominal muscles. Exercises are undertaken on the International Space Station and on Earth following space flight to remediate these effects. Similar effects have been seen on Earth in prolonged bed rest studies and in people with low back pain (LBP). The aim of this case report was to examine the effects of microgravity, exercise in microgravity and post-flight rehabilitation on the size of the multifidus and antero-lateral abdominal muscles. METHODS: Ultrasound imaging was used to assess size of the multifidus, transversus abdominis and internal oblique muscles at four time points: pre-flight and after daily rehabilitation on day one (R + 1), day 8 (R + 8) and day 14 (R + 14) after return to Earth (following 6 months in microgravity). RESULTS: Exercises in microgravity maintained multifidus size at L2-L4, however, after spaceflight, size of the multifidus muscle at L5 was reduced, size of the internal oblique muscle was increased and size of transversus abdominis was reduced. Rehabilitation post-space flight resulted in hypertrophy of the multifidus muscle to pre-mission size at the L5 vertebral level and restoration of antero-lateral abdominal muscle size. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise in space can prevent loss of spinal intrinsic muscle size. For the multifidus muscles, effectiveness varied at different levels of the spine. Post-mission rehabilitation targeting specific motor control restored muscle balance between the antero-lateral abdominal and multifidus muscles, similar to results from intervention trials for people with LBP. A limitation of the current investigation is that only one astronaut was studied, however, the microgravity model could be valuable as predictable effects on trunk muscles can be induced and interventions evaluated. Level of Evidence Case series.
Subject(s)
Abdominal Muscles/pathology , Muscular Atrophy/etiology , Paraspinal Muscles/pathology , Space Flight , Weightlessness/adverse effects , Abdominal Muscles/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Bed Rest/adverse effects , Biomedical Research/methods , Exercise/physiology , Exercise Therapy/methods , Humans , Low Back Pain/pathology , Male , Muscle, Skeletal/pathology , Muscular Atrophy/pathology , Muscular Atrophy/rehabilitation , Paraspinal Muscles/diagnostic imaging , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
The European Space Agency (ESA) contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) goes much beyond the delivery of hardware like the Columbus Laboratory, its payloads and the Automated Transfer Vehicles. ESA Astronauts will be members of the ISS crew. ESA, according to its commitments as ISS international partner, will be responsible to provide training on its elements and payloads to all ISS crewmembers and medical support for ESA astronauts. The European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne has developed over more than a decade into the centre of expertise for manned space activities within ESA by contributing to a number of important co-operative spaceflight missions. This role will be significantly extended for ISS manned operations. Apart from its support to ESA astronauts and their onboard operations, EAC will have a key role in training all ISS astronauts on ESA elements and payloads. The medical support of ISS crew, in particular of ESA astronauts has already started. This paper provides an overview on status and further plans in building up this homebase function for ESA astronauts and on the preparation towards Training Readiness for ISS crew training at EAC, Cologne. Copyright 2001 by the European Space Agency. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission. Released to IAF/IAA/AIAA to publish in all forms.
Subject(s)
Astronauts/education , Inservice Training , International Agencies , Space Flight/education , Aerospace Medicine , Europe , Germany , Humans , Space Flight/organization & administrationABSTRACT
The operation of the International Space Station (ISS) will be a global multilateral endeavour. Each International Partner will be responsible for the operation of its elements and for providing a crew complement proportional to its share of the overall resources. The preparations of the European Astronaut Centre to furnish training and medical support for the ISS astronauts are described.
Subject(s)
Aerospace Medicine/education , Astronauts/education , International Agencies , Space Flight/education , Weightlessness , Europe , Humans , Inservice Training , Physical FitnessABSTRACT
NASA: Potential conflicts between the use of weightlessness countermeasures during space flight and research into the physiological effects of weightlessness are examined. Research and medical operations goals are presented and experiences reviewed. Anticipated countermeasures for the International Space Station and possible solutions to the conflicts are described.^ieng
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Physiological/physiology , Aerospace Medicine , Astronauts , Space Flight/organization & administration , Weightlessness Countermeasures , Weightlessness , Exercise Therapy , Fluid Therapy , Gravity Suits , Humans , Lower Body Negative Pressure , Program Development , Research DesignABSTRACT
The longest manned mission previously supported by ESA was Euromir 94, which lasted just 30 days. The quantum leap to the originally planned 135 days of the Euromir 95 mission meant that a number of concepts needed to be rethought and adapted. One of the more obvious consequences was that the astronaut would be separated for a much longer period from his home environment, which meant that some of the ground-related support also had to be re-evaluated. Additional support associated with the 'psychological climate' onboard the station as a result of the longer mission duration was also necessary. Post-flight analysis has shown that all support elements functioned satisfactorily, but a number of potential improvements have also been identified.
