Documents upper extremities 41 results

"This study identified occupations with a marked impact on sick leaves due to respiratory disease.Respiratory disease accounted for 4.4% of the total number of sick leaves. The incidence of long-term ({>=90 days) sick leaves due to respiratory disease was 3 times higher in occupations with a high incidence than in those with a low incidence. There was a high correlation (r=0.80) between the incidence of long-term sick leave due to respiratory disease and sick leave due to all other conditions; this finding suggests that market and selection factors may play an important role in determining the overall risk for sick leave in various occupations. The proportion of sick leaves due to long-term respiratory disease out of all long-term disease was compared between occupations. Agricultural workers had a 46% higher proportion of long-term respiratory disease than metal workers. Industrial workers, food industry workers, and painters were also occupations with an increased risk. These findings could not be explained by differences in age or smoking habits.Major differences were found among manual and service occupations regarding long-term sick leave due to respiratory disease. Several occupations, in which exposure to respiratory sensitizers and irritants are known to occur, were among those in which workers had an increased risk for long-term respiratory disease. ..."

"The electromyographic (EMG) activity of shoulder and forearm muscles was recorded during a standardized computer task with different combinations of time pressure, precision demands, and mental demands to study the interaction of these factors and their effect on muscular response during simulated computer work. The interaction between work pace and other exposure factors must be taken into account when the effects of changes in exposure demands on muscular response are predicted. Only then can it be predicted whether changing demands will constitute a risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders."

"Despite the high frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the relation between work conditions and ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow has not been the object of much research. In the present study, the predictive factors for such ulnar nerve entrapment were determined in a 3-year prospective survey of upper-limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders in repetitive work.Despite the limitations of the study, the results suggest that the incidence of ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow is associated with one biomechanical risk factor (holding a tool in position, repetitively), overweight, and other upper-limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders, especially medial epicondylitis and other nerve entrapment disorders (cervicobrachial neuralgia and carpal and radial tunnel syndromes)."

Objectives The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a sampling strategy for characterizing the finger force exposures associated with computer mouse use. Methods Mouse forces were measured from 16 subjects (8 men, 8 women), on 3 separate days, at their actual workstations while they performed (i) their regular work, (ii) a battery of standardized tasks, and (iii) simulated mouse use. Results The forces applied to the mouse did not vary between hours or days. During regular work, the mouse was used 78.0 (SD 40.7) times per hour, accounting for 23.7 (SD 9.5)% of the worktime. The mean forces applied to the sides and button of the mouse were low, averaging 0.6 % of the maximal voluntary contraction (%MVC) (0.43 N) and 0.8 % MVC (0.35 N), respectively. The forces applied to the mouse during the standardized tasks differed from the regular work forces; however, there were moderate-to-strong correlations between the 2 measures. Conclusions With respect to performing exposure assessment studies, the 3 major findings were (i) mouse force measurements should be made while subjects perform their actual work in order to characterize the absolute applied force accurately, (ii) the forces applied to the mouse during the performance of a short battery of standardized tasks can be used to characterize relative exposure and identify computer operators or work situations for which higher forces are applied to the mouse, and (iii) subjects cannot accurately simulate mouse forces.

"Objectives Workers' musculoskeletal disorders are often pain-based and elude specific diagnoses; yet diagnosis or classification is the cornerstone to researching and managing these disorders. Clinicians are skilled in pattern recognition and use it in their daily practice. The purpose of this study was to use the clinical reasoning of experienced clinicians to recognize patterns of signs and symptoms and thus create a classification system. Methods Two hundred and forty-two workers consented to a standardized physical assessment and to completing a questionnaire. Each physical assessment finding was dichotomized (normal versus abnormal), and the results were graphically displayed on body diagrams. At two different workshops, groups of experienced researchers or clinicians were led through an exercise of pattern recognition (clustering and naming of clusters) to arrive at a classification system. Interobserver reliability was assessed (8 observers, 40 workers), and the classification system was revised to improve reliability.Results The initial classification system had good face validity but low interobserver reliability (kappa. "

"This paper presents a conceptual model for the pathogenesis of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The model contains sets of cascading exposure, dose, capacity, and response variables, such that response at one level can act as dose at the next. Response to one or more doses can diminish or increase the capacity for responding to successive doses. The model is used as a framework for discussing the development of work-related muscle, tendon, and nerve disorders. It is intended as a beginning, to be modified to explain new findings as they become available. In research, it can help to identify areas needing additional data for the development and expression of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Researchers can use it to design laboratory and field studies. In practice, it demonstrates the relationship between common exposure factors and different responses. This information can be used to evaluate and design jobs for the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders."

"A two-page checklist for determining the presence of ergonomic risk factors associated with the development of upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders (e.g., repetitiveness, local mechanical contact stresses, forceful manual exertions, awkward postures, and hand tool usage) was developed and evaluated as part of a joint labour-management ergonomics intervention programme. This checklist was used by plant personnel at four work sites to assess the presence of upper extremity risk factors in 335 manufacturing and warehouse jobs. In addition, results generated by the checklist were compared to the results of ergonomic analyses performed by persons with advanced training (Masters degrees) in occupational ergonomics for a subset of 51 jobs. Most of the jobs included in the survey were found to have significant exposures to upper extremity risk factors. Awkward work postures were common, with 90% of the jobs requiring wrist deviations outside the neutral range-of-motion. The jobs were also highly repetitive and frequently required workers to exert high hand forces. Results generated by the checklist were generally in agreement with results generated by the ergonomic analysts; however, the checklist was found to be more sensitive in identifying the presence of risk factors. The checklist was found to be an effective rapid-screening instrument for identifying jobs that expose workers to potentially harmful ergonomic stresses. However, the checklist methodology did not include sufficient documentation of work methods to identify specific job attributes associated with these exposures."

"This paper presents a modified application of the Strain Index (SI) method, in evaluation of effort-related variables in cleaning activities (n=40). EMG data were analyzed in the wrist flexor and extensor muscles. Effort-related variables were calculated to each record in four trigger levels (effort values were considered when the amplitude of the signal is above the trigger level for at least 0.5 s). Differences in effort time, intensity, frequency of efforts and in the resulting SI score were observed in the same activity when these variables are calculated with different trigger levels. Vacuuming, cleaning walls, floor scrapping, dusting offices and dusting horizontal surfaces were the most critical cleaning activities in terms of distal upper extremity (DUE) risk disorders; operating mono-disc and scrubber drier floor machines, dry and wet mopping and floor sweeping are among the cleaning activities with comparatively lower risk to DUE disorders. Global values of the cleaning activities (n=40) were calculated: Mean effort-intensity of 59.5% MVE; mean effort duration of 52.6% effort time; mean effort frequency of 7.8 peaks min-1; mean SI score of 8.7 (for a task duration <1 h). The use of EMG data to evaluate effort related variables was found to be an useful alternative to observational methods, when efforts are not clearly associated to hand/wrist movements and when non-cyclical high-frequency activities makes virtually impossible the evaluation of effort variables (intensity, frequency and duration). However, the application of this method requires the definition of an appropriate trigger level and of an activation time.Relevance to industryJob Strain Index (SI) has been widely applied in industry, but not to cleaning activities. Difficulties may occur when observational or self-report methods are applied to activities where hand/wrist efforts are not associated to clear hand/wrist movements and when non-cyclical high-frequency activities make evaluation of effort variables difficult. This study presents a modified application of the original method to calculate wrist exertion variables and it is based on the analysis of EMG data. "

"Introduction – La phase pilote du programme Coset-MSA a permis d'évaluer la prévalence des symptômes musculo-squelettiques du membre supérieur parmi les travailleurs de l'agriculture et, notamment, parmi les agriculteurs exploitants et les ouvriers agricoles couverts par la Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA).

Méthode – Les travailleurs ont été recrutés, dans cinq départements, par tirage au sort dans les bases de données de la MSA et invités à remplir un auto-questionnaire. L'échantillon d'analyse était constitué de 1 130 travailleurs, âgés de 18 à 65 ans, exerçant dans le secteur Agriculture, sylviculture et pêche, et en activité au moment de l'enquête.

Résultats – La prévalence de symptômes déclarés du membre supérieur au cours des 12 derniers mois était de 54% chez les hommes et 67% chez les femmes (p<10-3) et, respectivement, 20% et 34% ont eu des symptômes pendant plus de 30 jours. La prévalence la plus élevée, au cours des 12 derniers mois, concernait l'épaule pour les hommes (37%) et la zone main/poignet pour les femmes (49%). Ces dernières présentaient des taux de prévalence significativement plus élevés que les hommes, sauf pour le coude/avant-bras, zone pour laquelle il n'y avait pas de différence. Les prévalences de symptômes ne différaient pas significativement entre les agriculteurs exploitants et les ouvriers agricoles, chez les hommes comme chez les femmes.
Discussion-conclusion - Cette étude montre une forte prévalence des symptômes musculo-squelettiques du membre supérieur chez les travailleurs de l'agriculture qui constituent une population à surveiller en particulier, et à cibler en termes d'actions de prévention."