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Document ID (ISN)73177
CIS number 99-1358
ISSN - Serial title 0169-8141 - International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics
Year 1999
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Zetterberg C., Öfverholm T.
Title Carpal tunnel syndrome and other wrist/hand symptoms and signs in male and female car assembly workers
Bibliographic information Mar. 1999, Vol.23, No.3, p.193-204. 65 ref.
Abstract This study of 564 car assembly workers, 440 men 124 women doing the same work, focussed on subjective symptoms and physical examination signs concerning the wrist/hand. Attempts to find specific exposure factors of importance were also made. Women had more subjective wrist/hand symptoms and physical signs from joints, tendons and nerves than had men. Anthropometric measures such as wrist diameters, height, weight or body mass index did not explain the signs. There were correlations between female sex, smoking and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. In a subset of 15 workers, there were no cases with lowered nerve conduction velocity, but four with decreased thermotest threshold among those with numbness, Phalen's or Tinel's signs. Topics: assembly-line work; body mechanics; carpal-tunnel syndrome; epidemiologic study; hand; median nerve; motor vehicle industry; nervous conduction; Raynaud's phenomenon; repetitive work; risk factors; sensation thresholds; sex-linked differences; smoking; upper extremity disorders; wrist.
Descriptors (primary) assembly-line work; upper extremity disorders; motor vehicle industry; carpal-tunnel syndrome
Descriptors (secondary) smoking; repetitive work; Raynaud's phenomenon; hand; wrist; median nerve; nervous conduction; sensation thresholds; risk factors; sex-linked differences; body mechanics; epidemiologic study
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceSweden
Subject(s) Metal production and metalworking
Broad subject area(s) Physiology, ergonomics
Browse category(ies) Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Motor vehicle manufacturing industry
Diseases of the nervous system