RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Biomechanical risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a pooled study of 2474 workers
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 33
OP 41
DO 10.1136/oemed-2014-102378
VO 72
IS 1
A1 Carisa Harris-Adamson
A1 Ellen A Eisen
A1 Jay Kapellusch
A1 Arun Garg
A1 Kurt T Hegmann
A1 Matthew S Thiese
A1 Ann Marie Dale
A1 Bradley Evanoff
A1 Susan Burt
A1 Stephen Bao
A1 Barbara Silverstein
A1 Linda Merlino
A1 Fred Gerr
A1 David Rempel
YR 2015
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/72/1/33.abstract
AB Background Between 2001 and 2010, five research groups conducted coordinated prospective studies of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) incidence among US workers from various industries and collected detailed subject-level exposure information with follow-up of symptoms, electrophysiological measures and job changes. Objective This analysis examined the associations between workplace biomechanical factors and incidence of dominant-hand CTS, adjusting for personal risk factors. Methods 2474 participants, without CTS or possible polyneuropathy at enrolment, were followed up to 6.5 years (5102 person-years). Individual workplace exposure measures of the dominant hand were collected for each task and included force, repetition, duty cycle and posture. Task exposures were combined across the workweek using time-weighted averaging to estimate job-level exposures. CTS case-criteria were based on symptoms and results of electrophysiological testing. HRs were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. Results After adjustment for covariates, analyst (HR=2.17; 95% CI 1.38 to 3.43) and worker (HR=2.08; 95% CI 1.31 to 3.39) estimated peak hand force, forceful repetition rate (HR=1.84; 95% CI 1.19 to 2.86) and per cent time spent (eg, duty cycle) in forceful hand exertions (HR=2.05; 95% CI 1.34 to 3.15) were associated with increased risk of incident CTS. Associations were not observed between total hand repetition rate, per cent duration of all hand exertions, or wrist posture and incident CTS. Conclusions In this prospective multicentre study of production and service workers, measures of exposure to forceful hand exertion were associated with incident CTS after controlling for important covariates. These findings may influence the design of workplace safety programmes for preventing work-related CTS.