Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Cumulative Trauma Disorders of the Arm and Handand Occupation in U.S. Navy Enlisted Personnel

摘要

The majority of reported occupational illnesses in the United States arecumulative trauma disorders of the arm and hand due to repeated motion, vibration, or pressure; among these is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) . The objectives of this study were to describe demographic factors associated with high rates of CTS and other nerve entrapment disorders and to identify high-risk Navy occupations. Computerized records of first hospitalizations of all Navy enlisted personnel for CTS and other nerve entrapment disorders (ICD-9-CM codes 354.0-354.9) were identified during 1980 to 1988. Age-, sex-, and race-specific incidence rates and age-standardized incidence rates were calculated. There were 493 first hospitalizations for CTS in 4,095,708 person-years in men and 90 in 365,668 person-years in women. Rates of CTS rose with age in both sexes. Rates in white women were about triple those in white men, but rates in black women were not significantly different from black men. In men, occupations with significantly high standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for CTS included aviation support equipment technician, engineman, hull maintenance technician, boatswain's mate, and machinist's mate. In women they included boatswain's mate, engineman, hospital corpsman, ocean systems technician, and personnelman. Sex and race differences not account for the occupations at highest risk.... Carpal tunnel syndrome, Nerve entrapment disorders, occupational medicine, Military studies.