Abstract： AIM　To study potential effects of overload on pilots'cervical vertebrae and intervertebral disc, and its clinical significance.METHODS　Data of CT, X-ray examination of a group of pilot and a group of ground crew were synchronously collected. Incidences of cervical spondy lopathy were studied. Their relations to cervical vertebral structure and the relevant case history were analyzed. RESULTS　Pilots' incidence of cervical spondylopathy reached 33.3%, m uch higher than 10.7% of the control group (P<0.05). Pilots with cervical fl exure distance shorter than 0.7 cm accounted for 40.4%, significantly higher tha n 1 7.9% in the control group (P<0.05). People with history of spondylopathy ( including dizziness, nausea, headache cervical indisposition, brachial palsy, we ak ness, etc) had a high incidence of spondylopathy. CONCLUSION　1. Overload is one of the main reasons that causes of high incidence of cervical s po ndylopathy on pilots. 2. It is also one of the factors that accelerate degenera tive metamorphosis of cervical vertebrae with the result that the pilots cervi cal flexure distance becomes markedly less than normal.