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Is Repetitive Workload a Risk Factor for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders in Surgical Device Mechanics? A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

ABSTRACT: To assess the prevalence of upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among surgical device mechanics compared to a control group, a total of 70 employees were included and assigned to three occupational groups (grinders, packers, and control). Personal factors, work exposure, manual skill, and complaints were assessed by two self-administered questionnaires and an industry test. WMSDs were diagnosed in a standardised clinical examination. The two-one-sided t-tests (TOST) procedure was used to test the clinical equivalence of the respective grinding and packaging groups vs. the control group in terms of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. Thirty-nine study participants (56%) experienced at least one WMSD at the elbow, forearm, and/or wrist, mainly with signs of epicondylitis and nerve entrapment at the medial elbow. The risk of grinders developing upper extremity WMSD was about 2.5-times higher and packers had an 8.6-fold higher risk of a clinically relevant DASH > 29 compared to the control group. However, these differences were not statistically significant. The groups were also proven to be clinically equivalent in terms of DASH score. Surgical device mechanics do not seem to have worse DASH values or be at higher risk of upper limb WMSDs compared to a control group. This is the first study to analyse and compare different workplaces in this industry that are also common in other industries.

SUBMITTER: Lotter O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7068592 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Is Repetitive Workload a Risk Factor for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders in Surgical Device Mechanics? A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Lotter Oliver O Lieb Tobias T Breul Viktor V Molsner Jochen J

International journal of environmental research and public health 20200221 4

To assess the prevalence of upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among surgical device mechanics compared to a control group, a total of 70 employees were included and assigned to three occupational groups (grinders, packers, and control). Personal factors, work exposure, manual skill, and complaints were assessed by two self-administered questionnaires and an industry test. WMSDs were diagnosed in a standardised clinical examination. The two-one-sided <i>t</i>-tests (T ...[more]

PMID: 32098053

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Project description:BackgroundFew prospective cohort studies of distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders have been performed. Past studies have provided somewhat conflicting evidence for occupational risk factors and have largely reported data without adjustments for many personal and psychosocial factors.Methods/designA multi-center prospective cohort study was incepted to quantify risk factors for distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and potentially develop improved methods for analyzing jobs. Disorders to analyze included carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylalgia, medial epicondylalgia, trigger digit, deQuervain's stenosing tenosynovitis and other tendinoses. Workers have thus far been enrolled from 17 different employment settings in 3 diverse US states and performed widely varying work. At baseline, workers undergo laptop administered questionnaires, structured interviews, two standardized physical examinations and nerve conduction studies to ascertain demographic, medical history, psychosocial factors and current musculoskeletal disorders. All workers' jobs are individually measured for physical factors and are videotaped. Workers are followed monthly for the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Repeat nerve conduction studies are performed for those with symptoms of tingling and numbness in the prior six months. Changes in jobs necessitate re-measure and re-videotaping of job physical factors. Case definitions have been established. Point prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome is a combination of paraesthesias in at least two median nerve-served digits plus an abnormal nerve conduction study at baseline. The lifetime cumulative incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome will also include those with a past history of carpal tunnel syndrome. Incident cases will exclude those with either a past history or prevalent cases at baseline. Statistical methods planned include survival analyses and logistic regression.DiscussionA prospective cohort study of distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders is underway and has successfully enrolled over 1,000 workers to date.

Project description:BackgroundDemands of physical work are related to musculoskeletal disorders, and hence, important to assess. The Physical Workload Questionnaire (PWQ) is based on 26 items related to physical workload. The PWQ has been translated into Norwegian, but its psychometric properties have not yet been tested. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the PWQ among patients with musculoskeletal disorders.MethodsA cross-sectional study with a test-retest design was conducted to assess construct validity (structural validity and hypothesis testing) and reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) among employed patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess the structural validity and number of items to be included in the Norwegian version of the PWQ. Hypothesis testing was assessed by 14 a priori hypotheses ("known" group, convergent and discriminant validity). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC2.1), Standard Error of Measurement (SEMagreement) and Smallest Detectable Change (SDC95%ind).ResultsIn total, 115 patients with a mean age (SD) of 46 (9) years were included, of which 48 were included in the reliability analyses. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two subscales: "Heavy physical work" (15 items, range 0-100) and "Long-lasting postures and repetitive movements" (7 items, range 0-100). No floor or ceiling effects were seen in the subscales. Twelve of the 14 (85%) predefined hypotheses were confirmed. The internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 and 0.85 on subscales 1 and 2, respectively. Test-retest reliability analyses demonstrated an ICC2.1 of 0.96 (95% CI 0.88, 0.98) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.81, 0.96), SEM of 6.9 and 10.0 and SDC95%ind of 19.2 and 27.7 of subscales 1 and 2, respectively.ConclusionsThe Norwegian version of the PWQ demonstrated good validity and reliability and can be used to evaluate physical workload in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Dataset Information

Is Repetitive Workload a Risk Factor for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders in Surgical Device Mechanics? A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Publications

Is Repetitive Workload a Risk Factor for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders in Surgical Device Mechanics? A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

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