RIIHIMAKI H, WICKSTROM G, HANNINEN K, LUOPAJARVI T . Predictors of sciatic pain among concrete reinforcement workers and house painter s -a five-year follow-up. Scand J Work En viron Health 1989;15:415-423. In a study of the assoc iation of occupation and several other determinants with the occurrence of sciatic pain, 167 concrete reinforcement workers and 161 house painters were follow ed for five years. Base-line data were obtained with a questionnaire, an interview on back symptoms, a clinical exam ination , and a radiograph of the lumbar spine . Follow-up data on back symptoms were obtained with a post al questionnaire. Concrete reinforcement work was associated with an increase in the risk of sciatic pain , in both a cro ss-section al and a pro specti ve study. Reported back accidents contributed to the risk of sciatic pa in. Previous history of back sympto ms was the most powerful predictor of sciatic pain prospectively. Degenerative changes were related to sciati c pain in retrospect, but prospectively this relationship was weaker. Body height and history of stres s episodes showed some asso ciation with sciatic pain; abdominal muscle strength, body mass index, and smoking did not; and back muscle strength was asso ciated only retrospectively.

The musculoskeletal capacity of 60 women and 69 men, average age 52.3 +/- 3.7 years was determined, including measurements of anthropometry, maximal isometric trunk flexion and extension, sit-ups, isometric hand grip strength and back mobility. According to the job and to cluster analysis, the subjects were divided into three dominating work groups; physical, mental, and mixed groups. The results showed significant differences in right hand grip strength of the women and in the number of sit-ups by men among the three work groups (p less than 0.05). The differences between the other tests were not significant, although the physical group in the women and either the physical or the mixed group in the men had systematically the lowest mean values in almost all tests. It is concluded that jobs with mainly physical demands do not guarantee superior musculoskeletal capacity in older employees.

Muscle strength and muscle endurance in groups with different occupational muscular load was studied among 60 women and 69 men. The mean age of the subjects was 52.0 +/- 3.4 years. Isometric grip and trunk strength were measured on dynamometers, and dynamic muscle endurance by sit-ups. A job analysis was done with the AET method including the assessment of intensity, duration and type of muscular work of each subject. According to the job analysis, the subjects were classified into groups with low or high muscular load at work. The maximal isometric hand grip strength of women with a load classified as long duration of static or dynamic load on the hands at work was 86 and 88%, respectively of the strength of those with a load of short duration. The women with high intensity in static work had a grip strength of 86% of those with low intensity. These differences in strength among women between the high and low load groups were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). No other statistically significant differences in muscle strength or muscle endurance between the high and low work load groups were found, although the high work load group had systematically the lowest muscle strength and muscle endurance in almost all comparisons. Muscle strength and muscle endurance was, however, not a discriminating factor between the group classifications of static and dynamic work. The results indicated that the muscle strength and muscle endurance of middle-aged employees was systematically lower among those with high muscular load compared to those with low load at work.

Prevalence of tenosynovitis and other injuries of the 5 (1979): supp!. 3, 48-55. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the prevalence of soft tissue disorders in the neck, arms and hands between packers doing repetitive work and shop assistants with variable tasks. One hundred and fifty-two female assembly-line packers in a food production factory and 133 female shop assistants were interviewed about their symptoms and given a clinical examination of the neck and upper extremities. The number of cases of tension neck, cervical syndrome, scalenus syndrome, and humeral epicondylitis did not differ significantly between the two groups. The prevalence of tenosynovitis and humeral tendinitis was significantly higher for the assemblyline packers. The packing work consisted of static muscle work by the arms, grasping and maximal extensions of the fingers, and lateral deviations of the wrists. The movements numbered up to 25,OOO/workday. A relationship between some work load factors and some disorders of the upper extremities is probable.

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