Carpal tunnel syndrome: the association with occupation at a population level

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the association of occupation and gender with the incidence and severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We examined 884 patients of working age, diagnosed with CTS, in a specialist hand clinic that was the only provider of hand services to a health board area. We categorized occupation using the Standard Occupational Classification 2010 (SOC2010) and used local census data to calculate the incidence in each of the nine major occupational groups. The greatest incidence was in caring and leisure occupations (197 per 100 000 population per year), while the lowest incidence was in the associate professional group (37 per 100 000). Professional occupations had a high incidence of CTS, along with skilled trades and elementary occupations. Women had a higher incidence of CTS than men in managerial, professional, skilled trades, and elementary occupations (OR 2.9-3.6). The Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score varied across occupational groups (p < 0.001) and was worst in the caring and leisure group. As traditional heavy industry associated with previously described occupational risks declines, new patterns of occupational association may emerge. We recommend ongoing observational research of potential occupational risk factors to identify these new trends.

Personal and workplace psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a pooled study cohort

“…The adjusted HR effect size of 1.3 observed for women in the current study is lower than the approximate doubling of CTS risk observed in other studies 41 42. A study by Silverstein43 found that among those with median neuropathy, women reported more symptoms than men.…”

Prevalence and incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in US working populations: pooled analysis of six prospective studies

“…Passive surveillance approaches, such as the use of workers’ compensation data, results in observed annual CTS incidence rates that range from 0.04–0.2 per 100 person-years, varying by occupation or industry (13, 21). Active surveillance approaches, such as the few longitudinal studies that screened all members of a defined cohort for symptoms and nerve conduction abnormalities, results in higher observed CTS incident rates.…”

“…Many large epidemiologic studies of electrodiagnostically confirmed CTS have estimated occupational exposure to physical risk factors with imprecise methods such as job titles or self-reported exposures (11, 20–21). Conversely, studies using detailed observational or direct methods for quantifying workplace exposures have been limited to smaller samples or single occupations (14–15, 22–25).…”

Is the Control of Applied Digital Forces During Natural Five-digit Grasping Affected by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

“…For instance, mechanical entrapment of the median nerve at the wrist region, which is known as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), results in numbness, pain, and weakness of the muscles innervated by the median nerve [6,41]. CTS is more common among women than men, and can be caused by repeated or highforce manual tasks, especially from vocational exposure [22,37]. As a result of symptoms caused by nerve abnormalities, patients with CTS face difficulties in various hand manipulations needed to perform daily activities, especially those requiring precision grasping [28].…”