Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Cumulative Trauma Disorders”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Upper limb musculoskeletal disorders in highly repetitive industries: precise anatomical physical findings.

Physical assessment of 146 female workers in highly repetitive jobs found 54% to have evidence of musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limb that are potentially work-related. Many workers had multiple problems, and many were affected bilaterally (33% of workers). Muscle pain and tenderness was the largest problem, both in the neck/shoulder area (31%) as expected and in the forearm/hand musculature (23%), a previously unreported site. Most forearm muscle problems were found on the extensor side. Carpal tunnel syndrome was the most common form of neuritis with 16 people affected (7 people affected bilaterally). De Quervain's tenosynovitis and wrist flexor tendinitis were the most commonly found tendon disorders in the distal forearm (12 people affected for each diagnosis). The results suggest that exposure should be measured bilaterally. They also suggest that muscle tissue is highly vulnerable to overuse. Stressors that affect muscle tissue, such as static loading, should be studied in the forearm as well as in the shoulder.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Achilles tendon disorders in athletes.

Achilles tendon disorders are among the more common maladies seen by sports medicine physicians. Understanding the anatomy and biomechanics of the Achilles tendon and contiguous structures is essential to the diagnosis and treatment of Achilles tendon overuse injuries. Posterior heel pain is multifactorial and includes paratenonitis, tendinosis, tendinosis with partial rupture, insertional tendinitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis, and subcutaneous tendo-Achilles bursitis. Each of these entities is distinct, but they often occur in combination. Although most cases of this disorder are successfully treated nonoperatively, a small subgroup of recalcitrant cases may benefit from surgical intervention. Complete ruptures in active, athletic persons should be treated operatively in most cases and result in predictably good outcomes. There may be some cases that escape early recognition and require a reconstructive procedure to salvage a potentially severe functional deficit.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed2003

Medial epicondylitis in occupational settings: prevalence, incidence and associated risk factors.

Because medial epicondylitis has not been studied alone, we investigated its links between personal and occupational factors in repetitive work and its course. A total of 1757 workers were examined by an occupational health physician in 1993-1994. Five hundred ninety-eight of them were reexamined 3 years later. Prevalence was between 4% and 5%, with an annual incidence estimate at 1.5%. Forceful work was a risk factor (odds ratio [OR], 1.95; confidence interval [CI] = 1.15-3.32), but not exposure to repetitive work (OR, 1.11; CI = 0.59-2.10). Workers with medial epicondylitis had a significantly higher prevalence of other work-related upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD). Risk factors differed for medial and lateral epicondylitis. The prognosis for medial epicondylitis in this population was good with a 3-year recovery rate at 81%. Medial epicondylitis was clearly associated with forceful work and other upper-limb WRMD, and its prognosis was good.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Work related risk factors for musculoskeletal complaints in the spinning industry in Lithuania.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of self reported musculoskeletal complaints in the back, arms or neck, and legs among workers in the spinning industry, and to investigate the relations between these complaints and work related variables. METHODS: An interview based questionnaire survey was carried out in two spinning industry factories in Lithuania. RESULTS: The study group consisted of all workers in production (n = 363). Symptoms of the legs were the musculoskeletal symptom reported most often (61%). Many subjects had arms or neck (55%) or back problems (28%). 20% had experienced pain from all three sites. Almost 25% had had musculoskeletal pain every day and 16% had experienced constant pain during previous year. Packers had the highest risk of arms or neck problems whereas spinners had the highest risk of back or leg problems. Working in a strained posture (bending, work with arms raised up above shoulder level, and repetitive movements of the fingers) was associated with all three complaints. Only arms or neck complaints were associated with age. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal disorders are a common problem among workers producing gobelin or synthetic thread in Lithuania and working in a strained posture is a risk factor for developing musculoskeletal disorders in three body sites: legs, arms or neck, and back. To better understand the different aspects of physical load as risk factors, a more detailed study of the frequency of postural changes as well as an observation of individually adopted postures would be necessary. This applies to intervention studies in factories of the spinning industry to prevent complaints of the legs and shoulders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Basic principles of nuclear medicine techniques for detection and evaluation of trauma and sports medicine injuries.

Nuclear medicine skeletal imaging is a very sensitive technique for evaluating bone and muscle abnormalities because it can detect minor changes in metabolism and blood flow. The specificity of bone imaging, however, depends on the ability of the nuclear medicine physician to make a differential diagnosis. To aid in making a specific diagnosis, this article describes the various patterns of abnormality in stress fractures, tibial stress syndrome (shin splints), compartment syndrome, enthesopathy, and traumatic fractures. The characteristic scintigraphic appearance of joint injuries, muscle injuries (rhabdomyolysis), and radionuclide arthrography is discussed and the way the scan patterns change with time in these various disorders is described. A brief summary of the basic anatomy and physiology of bone and muscle in normal and injured tissue is presented and the basic mechanisms which cause the various abnormal scan patterns is postulated. In addition, a staging system for stress fractures is presented to help direct the referring physician toward the proper management of the injured patient. In most cases, nuclear medicine skeletal imaging can be used to differentiate between acute muscle injury, tibial stress syndrome, skeletal injury (periosteal reaction, stress fracture, and traumatic fracture) or an abnormality that is entirely associated with the joint or connective tissue. This differential diagnosis is easier if the nuclear medicine procedure is performed within a few days after the onset of injury.

Athletic Injuries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Protocol for health surveillance of workers exposed to repetitive arm movements].

BACKGROUND: Repetitive movements of the upper limbs at work can cause the onset of musculo-skeletal disorders and therefore an adequate planning of health surveillance is needed. A Work Group on this problem was constituted in Brescia, Italy, following the great interest raised by recent scientific meetings on this topic. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the Group was to prepare a proposal for a health surveillance protocol for the use of Occupational Health Physicians. RESULTS: Health surveillance for the prevention of upper limb disorders must be based on the degree of risk. The risk assessment procedure should be based on the methodology currently available for ergonomic analysis and should also consider the frequency of upper limb disorders in the exposed workers. In case of moderate risk, it is necessary to identify hyper-susceptible individuals, in order to reduce exposure to repetitive movements by means of an adequate task fitness evaluation and suitable health education programmes. In situations of medium-to-high risk, a specific programme of health surveillance must be planned in order to identify early disorders and prevent the onset of more severe damage using task fitness evaluation and rehabilitation therapies. The appropriate diagnostic procedure is indicated for this purpose and a classification is proposed to divide the upper limb disorders into two stages, according to the clinical picture: a first acute-subacute stage, which is potentially reversible, and a chronic-subchronic stage, which is non-reversible. Legal reports are required according to the stage of the disease identified and must be supported by an adequate risk assessment.

Arm↗
PubMed1994

Occupational musculoskeletal disorders.

Musculoskeletal disorders of the workplace include the acute, cumulative and chronic injuries or illnesses of the soft tissues which are caused by mechanical stress, strain, sprain, vibration, inflammation, or irritation. The successful management of occupational musculoskeletal disorders must account for workplace conditions (ergonomics and work practices), psychosocial factors, diagnostic uncertainties, and the need for active modalities (exercises and a progressive increase in activities of daily living), rather than passive (bed rest and traction). Although most occupational musculoskeletal disorders respond to conservative measures such as ice or heat, protective devices such as, neutral splints for carpal tunnel syndrome, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and progressive strengthening, resolution may take months. Prevention is often more important than treatment, and may entail workplace revisions and special worker training. Worker selection programs--strength testing, pre-placement radiographs, and inquiries about prior low back pain--have poor predictive value.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed2006

Rheumatic diseases that can be confused with work-related upper extremity disorders.

Rheumatic illnesses are a common cause for musculoskeletal complaints in the general population. All ages can be affected, including people in the prime of their working years. Secondary problems, such as entrapment neuropathies, enthesopathies, and Raynaud's syndrome, can be associated with various inflammatory arthritides. A detailed history and physical are the most important tools in screening for potential inflammatory disease in workers with upper extremity complaints.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Employer, physical therapist, and employee outcomes in the management of work-related upper extremity disorders.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among employer, provider, and patient outcome measures and how they are related to clinical factors and other occupation-related factors. Data were obtained from a New England workplace physical therapy (PT) clinic. Successful outcomes were defined as remaining-on/returning-to preinjury job (employer); achieving PT goals (provider); and increases in the SF-36 scale scores (patient). Variation in outcomes was explored across injury regions (shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand), work categories, number of visits, and length of PT care. Employer and provider outcomes are moderately correlated (phi coefficient = 0.51). Subjects demonstrated significant improvements in the SF-36 physical functioning and bodily pain scores after physical therapy intervention. Patients with elbow disorders needed more PT care and did not improve in the SF-36 role physical domain compared to shoulder and wrist/hand groups (p < 0.05). Our results describe the relationship between outcome measures from different perspectives and the influence from other contributing factors. The impact of workplace injury management and the selection of outcome measures warrant continued study.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Upper extremity disorders in performing artists.

Studies in the past decade have shown that a significant proportion of instrumentalists report musculoskeletal problems severely affecting their musical performance. Musicians endure daily intensive use of their upper extremities, frequently placing them in bizarre positions. Their training schedules are rigorous and long term Predisposing factors to, and treatment for, overuse syndromes, tendinitis, and tendon trauma commonly encountered by musical performers are discussed at length. Nerve entrapment has also surfaced as a major problem in musicians, and the means of evaluation and treatment and the role of surgery are put forth. Techniques for studying and analyzing the difficulties faced by instrumentalists are summarized.

Arm↗
PubMed2006

Influence on operator's health of hand-transmitted vibrations from handles of a single-axle tractor.

The operators of the single-axle tractors are especially exposed to hand-arm transmitted vibrations. These vibrations can cause the complex of vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, collectively named hand-arm vibration syndrome. Among these, the most common disorder is vibration-induced white finger (Raynaud's phenomenon). The vibration levels were measured in three tractor's working conditions, namely idling, transportation and soil tillage. The vibration level on the handles was measured and analysed and the frequency spectra for the chosen working conditions were obtained. The frequency-weighted acceleration, given in m/s2, was calculated and the obtained values are graphically presented. The measured vibration levels are then discussed with regard to the operator's daily exposure limits recommended by the ISO 5349. The vibration levels were much higher in the x and y directions than the z-direction in all working conditions. The vibration total values in idling, transportation and soil tillage were 3.37, 8.37 and 9.62 m/s2, respectively. Results showed that the 10% of workers are exposed to a risk of vibration-induced white finger disorder of the hands after relatively short periods (3-4 years), if the tractor is used 8 hour per day in soil tillage and transportation at full load. Considering the criteria of the ISO 5349, the daily working time with the single-axle tractor should be limited in order to protect the operator and work schedules should be arranged to include vibration-free periods.

Acceleration↗
PubMed1998

Occupational upper extremity disorders in the federal workforce. Prevalence, health care expenditures, and patterns of work disability.

Upper extremity disorders (UEDs) account for a significant number of work-related illnesses in the US workforce. Little information exists on the distribution of UEDs, their associated health care and indemnity costs, or patterns of work disability. The study presented is an analysis of upper extremity claims within the federal workforce. In this study, the universe consisted of all claims accepted by the US Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), from October 1, 1993, through September 30, 1994. A total of 185,927 claims of notices of injury were processed during the study period, and of these, 8,147 or 4.4% had an UED diagnosis coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). 5,844 claims involved a single UED diagnosis and were the only claims field by these employees between October 1, 1990, and September 30, 1994. These single claims with single diagnoses comprised the sample for further analysis. Mononeuritis and enthesopathies of the upper limb were the most common diagnoses, accounting for 43% and 31% of the claims, respectively. Women had a higher proportion of carpal tunnel syndrome, "unspecified" mononeuritis, and "unspecified" enthesopathies. The majority of claimants for both the mononeuritis- and enthesopathy-related diagnoses were between 31 and 50 years of age, received only health care benefits, and did not incur wage loss. Health care costs for mononeuritis and enthesopathy claims were $12,228,755 (M = $2,849). Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and enthesopathy of the elbow were the most costly diagnoses, accounting for 57% and 16% of the total, respectively. Surgical services represented the highest expenditures in CTS claims. Physical therapy accounted for the majority of health care costs for enthesopathy cases. The mean number of workdays lost for CTS and enthesopathy claims were 84 and 79, and the average indemnity costs were $4,941 and $4,477, respectively. These findings indicate that while UEDs represent a relatively small percentage of all workers' compensation cases, the health care and indemnity costs are considerable. Also mean duration and pattern of work disability revealed that these disorders can result in chronic work disability similar to that observed in low back pain. The results highlight the need to determine whether interventions that account for the majority of costs significantly impact long-term outcomes. There is also a need to identify risk factors for prolonged disability in those who experience problems with delayed recovery.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the risk related to repetitive work activities: testing of several methods proposed in the literature].

Pathologies due to the repetitive activity of the upper limbs constitutes a growing part of the work-related musculo-skeletal disorders. At the moment, there are no universally accepted and validated methods for the description and assessment of the work-related risks. Yet, the criteria fundamentally characterizing the exposure are rather clear and even. This study reports a practical example of the application of some recent risk assessment methods proposed in the literature, combining objective and subjective measures obtained on the field, with the traditional activity analysis.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of TLV-ACGIH (HAL) and Strain Index for the evaluation of the upper extremity biomechanical overload].

Pathologies due to repetitive activity of the upper limb, well known in scientific literature as WMSDs (Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders), are considerably increased in the last years. At the moment, there are no validated methods for the assessment of the work-related risk. This study compares two different methods proposed in literature for the assessment of the work-related risk, combining objective and subjective measures.

Arm↗
PubMed2002

A hyperventilation theory of job stress and musculoskeletal disorders.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of a link between job stress and upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorders. However, the biobehavioral mechanisms by which psychosocial stress factors contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders are uncertain. METHODS: Based on established principles of breathing and job stress and the relevant empirical literatures, a hyperventilation theory of job stress and work-related musculoskeletal disorders was developed. RESULTS: Hyperventilation (overbreathing) refers to a drop in arterial CO2 caused by ventilation that exceeds metabolic demands for O2. Excessive loss of CO2 (increase in rate of flow of CO2 from cells to longs) that results from hyperventilation produces a rise in blood pH (i.e., respiratory alkalosis). This disruption in the acid-base equilibrium triggers a chain of systemic physiological reactions that have adverse implications for musculoskeletal health, including increased muscle tension, muscle spasm, amplified response to catecholamines, and muscle ischemia and hypoxia. Hyperventilation is often characterized by a shift from a diaphragmatic to a thoracic breathing pattern, which imposes biomechanical stress on the neck/shoulder region due to the ancillary recruitment of sternocelidomastoid, scalene, and trapezius muscles in support of thoraci breathing. CONCLUSIONS: A hyperventilation theory provides an innovative framework for understanding how job stress contributes to pathophysiological processes that increase the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. With respect to the control of these disorders, a hyperventilation theory has important implications for establishing effective work organization interventions and individual stress-management methods. In this regard, breathing is a biobehavioral metric for assessing whether psychosocial aspects of work organization are in balance with a worker's needs and resources. A hyperventilation theory also provides a unique rationale for coping with job stress and musculoskeletal discomfort through breathing training, light physical exercise, and rest breaks.

Arm Injuries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Injuries and damage caused by excessive stress in classical ballet].

Typical injuries of highly professional classical ballet dancers were evaluated in 108 members of German opera companies. We demonstrated the predominance of overuse-syndromes to acute injuries related to the excessive training-extends. Disorders of the feet, particularly tendinitis followed by low-back pain, chondromalacia patellae, jumpers knee, shin splints and muscle strains are most frequent. Considerable time often elapsed before diagnosing was made because complaints were ignored by dancers. Our inquiry includes range of motion of the spine and the extremities, serial x-rays and a systematic review of ballet-related injuries, training-programs and techniques.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Musculoskeletal disorders caused by repetitive trauma of the upper limbs: a paradigm of the development of occupational diseases and industrial medicine].

The work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative disease and disorders that result in pain and functional impairment. All available definitions for WMSDS are non consistent and require in each individual case and in each group study careful identification of symptoms, signs and findings. WMSDs, as a mutifactorial work related disease, are associated to physical and psychosocial factors at work and other individual, sociocultural factors. They are therefore good paradigm for the changing occupational risks and illness and for the new methods that the occupational medicine and the preventive disciplines have to set up. The research and standardization needs appear to be more evident for framing pathogenesis, biological response and pathology of WMSDs and mainly for risk factors assessment, since suitable analytical methods are still not available. The agreement of valid standardised methods (guide lines) for the evaluation of working conditions and assessment of risk factors is required, taking due regard to the multidisciplinary approach both in biological and medical areas and in poly technical ones. Finally attention would be paid to the strategy for prevention, implementing ergonomic programmes, health surveillance, adequate training to work, aimed to primary prevention of WMSDs.

Arm Injuries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Repetitive movements of the upper limbs: results of exposure evaluation and clinical investigation in refinishing ceramic ornaments].

An evaluation was made of the degree of exposure to risk and the frequency of disorders attributable to biomechanical overload of the upper limb in workers performing finishing operation on ceramic vases and cups in a ceramics factory. The risks were first evaluated against a checklist, then subsequently an assessment was made of the tasks found to feature the highest risks, using an ergonomic analysis method, which identified activities associated with a large number of actions per minute (> 50). The 22 female workers performing the tasks in question underwent a risk-targeted physical examination which included an electroneurographic test using surface electrodes. The clinical test detected an extremely high frequency of carpal tunnel syndrome cases, in addition to other upper limb disorders. In particular, nine female workers (41%) were found to be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, and five (22%) from other pathologies of the upper limbs (4 scapulo-humeral periarthritis, 1 epicondylitis). As a result of the findings arising out of this study, immediate preventive measures were adopted; moreover, it has become evident that further epidemiological studies on larger sample populations are needed.

Adult↗