Carpal tunnel syndrome and manual work: a longitudinal study.

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.

Relationship between repetitive work and the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in part-time and full-time female supermarket cashiers: a quasi-experimental study.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) in full-time and part-time supermarket cashiers exposed to a different weekly duration of biomechanical load.

Methods: All the 269 cashiers and 127 office workers were asked to participate. The protocol included ergonomic risk assessment, collection of personal and clinical data and bilateral electrodiagnostic study of the median nerve.

Occupational relevance of subclavian vein thrombosis in association with thoracic outlet syndrome.

Objectives: Primary subclavian vein thrombosis ("effort thrombosis") is not generally recognized as a work-related disorder, and more knowledge is required on the particular biomechanical risks. An extensive biomechanical risk analysis was performed for a possible work-related case.

Case Report: A hard-working 43-year-old race-course farrier received successful surgical treatment for subclavian vein thrombosis.

Associations of psychosocial and individual factors with three different categories of back disorder among nursing staff.

Although back disorders are a major occupational problem for nursing staff, few studies distinguish different types. By means of a structured questionnaire, we performed a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of diagnosed lumbar disc hernia, chronic low-back pain (LBP) (at least 90 d in the preceding 12 months) and acute LBP (intense pain for at least 1 d) with respect to physical, individual and psychosocial factors among female nurses (n=587), nursing aides (n=228) and head-nurses (n=43) working in a university hospital (95% of the female workforce). Almost all respondents reported known high-risk occupational activities.