Wrist Injury: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Musculoskeletal Disorders: Evidence for Work Accidents
Your work accident lawyer at Weitz & Luxenberg wants you to be aware of all the factors involved in your work accident lawsuit. The following information is based on a study conducted by NIOSH in 1997. Some of the facts involved may change with time, increased study, the circumstances specific to your case. Only an experienced work accident lawyer can properly evaluate your case and determine if you are eligible for a no out-of-pocket expense work accident lawsuit. Fill out this form for a FREE consultation.
Over 30 epidemiologic studies have examined physical workplace factors and their relationship to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Several studies fulfill the four epidemiologic criteria that were used in this review, and appropriately address important methodologic issues. The studies generally involved populations exposed to a combination of work factors, but a few assessed single work factors such as repetitive motions of the hand. We examined each of these studies, whether the findings were positive, negative, or equivocal, to evaluate the strength of work-relatedness using causal inference.
There is evidence of a positive association between highly repetitive work alone or in combination with other factors and CTS based on currently available epidemiologic data. There is also evidence of a positive association between forceful work and CTS. There is insufficient evidence of an association between CTS and extreme postures. Individual variability in work methods among workers in similar jobs and the influence of differing anthropometry on posture are among the difficulties noted in measuring postural characteristics of jobs in field studies. Findings from laboratory-based studies of extreme postural factors support a positive association with CTS. There is evidence of a positive association between work involving hand/wrist vibration and CTS.
There is strong evidence of a positive association between exposure to a combination of risk factors (e.g., force and repetition, force and posture) and CTS. Based on the epidemiologic studies reviewed above, especially those with quantitative evaluation of the risk factors, the evidence is clear that exposure to a combination of the job factors studied (repetition, force, posture, etc.) increases the risk for CTS. This is consistent with the evidence that is found in the biomechanical, physiological, and psychosocial literature. Epidemiologic surveillance data, both nationally and internationally, have also consistently indicated that the highest rates of CTS occur in occupations and job tasks with high work demands for intensive manual exertion–for example, in meatpackers, poultry processors, and automobile assembly workers.
see also:
Tendonitis
Work Accidents: Tendonitis - Musculoskeletal DisordersTendonitis - Musculoskeletal Disorders: Evidence for Work Accidents
Neck Injury
Work Accidents: Neck Injury - Musculoskeletal DisordersNeck Injury - Musculoskeletal Disorders: Evidence for Work Accidents
Occupational Injury
Personal Injury Lawyer: Types of Occupational InjuriesPersonal Injury Lawyer-Occupational injuries can be serious: FREE INFO
