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Work-Related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: What’s Important?



Details

  • Personal Author:
  • Description:
    Normally, an editorial discusses the background of reasonable work, its scientific merits, and then the context of its findings. The main point in the study by Thiese et al. in this issue of the journal, regarding the association between wrist ratio and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and its effect modification by obesity, is almost totally beside the point in the larger context. Focusing on an arbitrary measure of wrist anthropometrics redirects focus from higher risk occupational factors, obfuscating useful and potentially preventable measures, in favor of creating "diagnostic" cut-points of debatable value. So, let us turn things around a bit and start from that context. ... This cross-sectional study by Thiese et al. has some weaknesses that are of concern, and the findings from their study may fan the flames of what has been an effort by some orthopedic surgeons to debunk work-related CTS. Yes, there are still unanswered questions, such as the impact of keyboarding and intensive mouse use-evidence that is weak but suggestive of an association with CTS. A responsible policy even for this physical exposure, say in workers conducting intensive data entry most of the work week, would be to consider such cases after detailed assessment of the degree of exposure. Workers gave up their right to sue employers in a so-called "grand bargain" as reflected in most state's workers' compensation laws from the early 20th century. The no-fault principal is to liberally construe benefits in favor of the workers. The science of risk factors related to CTS is solid on physical risk factors and on obesity. In contrast, wrist ratio and other anthropometric measures are likely related to EDX, but there is no compelling evidence relating wrist dimensions to causation of work-related CTS. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  • Subjects:
  • Keywords:
  • ISSN:
    0148-639X
  • Document Type:
    Text
  • Funding:
    Grant
  • Genre:
    Journal Article
  • Place as Subject:
  • CIO:
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Topic:
    Workplace Safety & Health
  • Location:
    North America
  • Volume:
    56
  • Issue:
    6
  • NIOSHTIC Number:
    nn:20063773
  • Citation:
    Muscle Nerve 2017 Dec; 46(6):1017-1019
  • Contact Point Address:
    Gary M. Franklin, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, 130 Nickerson Avenue, Suite 212, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
  • Email:
    meddir@uw.edu
  • Federal Fiscal Year:
    2018
  • Performing Organization:
    University of Washington
  • Peer Reviewed:
    False
  • Start Date:
    20050701
  • Source Full Name:
    Muscle & Nerve
  • End Date:
    20250630
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:8e86df65c1b881f2f32c10022157ab67d73f2259f41eb29a3fc503030986013edb25ed1953a712c699f0a92fb55033321f1e13746098000e45dfcb0def3554a1
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 962.93 KB ]
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