Clinical signs of craniomandibular disorder, the mobility of the cervical spine, and neck-shoulder muscle tenderness were assessed or measured in a nonpatient sample of 57 and a patient sample of 76 subjects. Examinations performed after a 1-year interval showed that the frequency of signs of craniomandibular disorder had remained virtually unchanged. The functional state of the stomatognathic system was significantly associated with both mobility of the cervical spine and neck-shoulder muscle tenderness.

2 (1976) 31-36. Three Finnish shipyards and two shipbreaking enterprises were studied for lead exposure. Blood lead (Pb-B) concentration was measured for 568 workers in the shipyards and 13 workers in the shipbreaking enterprises. Erythrocyte o-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity was determined for 139 workers in one shipyard and 7 workers in one shipbreaking enterprise. Hemoglobin level was determined for 545 workers in the three shipyards and 7 workers in one shipbreaking enterprise. Lead exposure in the shipyards was relatively low. No Pb-B value exceeded 70 ,ug/l00 ml. The most exposed occupations were welders, plumbers, painters, repairmen, and sheet metal workers. The mean Pb-B did not exceed 40 ,ug!lOO ml in any of these groups. In both shipbreaking enterprises one Pb-B value exceeded 70 ,ug/l00 ml, the mean Pb-B values of all the workers in the two enterprises being 51 and 46 ,ug/IOO ml, respectively. ALAD values corresponded well with the respective Pb-B values. All the hemoglobin mean values were normal, and there were no statistically significant differences between the hemoglobin values of different groups.

Vibratory perception thresholds were determined for 90 subjects working at a shipyard with industrial solvents. The duration of exposure varied from 1 to 44 years (mean 19.6 years). Four of the men but none of women had bilaterally significantly increased thresholds in the lower limbs. In addition, seven subjects had increased thresholds in the upper extremities only. Fifteen subjects were further examined at a neurophysiological laboratory to determine the degree of possible peripheral polyneuropathy. The following measurements were made at the laboratory: motor and sensory conduction velocities, electromyography and heart rate variation during normal and forced breathing. The laboratory investigations revealed abnormalities in most of the subjects with increased vibratory perception thresholds in the lower limbs. On the other hand the laboratory measurements were normal for all subjects with increased thresholds in the upper limbs only. It is concluded that when peripheral polyneuropathy is suspected, quantitative vibratory perception threshold measurement is an easily applicable screening method for selecting subjects for further laboratory investigations.

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