Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, including details on symptoms, causes, trauma, diagnosis, physiotherapy.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and manual work: a longitudinal study.

Violante FS, Armstrong TJ, Fiorentini C, Graziosi F, Risi A, Venturi S, Curti S, Zanardi F, Cooke RM, Bonfiglioli R, Mattioli S

Occupational Medicine Unit, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess risks associated with work-related biomechanical overloads in onset/course of carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: Work-groups with job tasks spanning different biomechanical exposures were evaluated at baseline in terms of American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists hand-activity/peak force action limit and threshold limit values (TLV). Exposures of interest were "unacceptable" (hand-activity above TLV) and "borderline" (between action limit and TLV) overloads. Clinical/individual data were collected at baseline and 12 months. RESULTS: One-year incidence of "classic/possible" carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms as defined by consensus criteria was 7.3% (153 of 2092). "Unacceptable" overload was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of onset with respect to "acceptable" load. At ordered logistic regression analysis of symptom-status variations, increased risks were recorded for "unacceptable" and "borderline" overloads. CONCLUSIONS: Effectiveness of encouraging workplace adherence to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists recommendations deserves investigation as a possible key to wide-scale prevention.

Published 12 November 2007 in J Occup Environ Med, 49(11): 1189-96.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Research Today. All Rights Reserved.