Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Related to Computer Exposure at Work? A Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome, which since the beginning of the seventies has been linked to the keyboard and visual display unit (VDU). The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and personal factors associated with CTS in female VDU workers in Italy. Material and Methods: Participants in this study were female adult subjects, working ≥ 20 h/week (N = 631, mean age 38.14±7.81 years, mean working age 12.9±7.24 years). Signs and symptoms were collected during compulsory occupational medical surveillance. The binary logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios for the factors of interest. Results: Diagnosis of CTS was reported in 48 cases (7.6%, 11 of them or 1.7% after a surgical correction) for the incidence of 5.94/1000 person-years. In general, signs and symptoms of CTS were associated with the following demographic factors: previous trauma of upper limb (adjusted odds ratio (OR a ) = 8.093, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.347-27.904), history (> 5 years) of oral contraceptives therapy/hormone replacement therapy (OR a = 3.77, 95% CI: 1.701-8.354) and cervical spine signs/symptoms (OR a = 4.565, 95% CI: 2.281-9.136). Conclusions: The prevalence of CTS was similar to the estimates for the general population of Italy. Among personal risk factors, hormone therapy, previous trauma of the upper limb and signs/symptoms of the cervical spine appeared to be associated with a higher risk of CTS syndrome. Eventually, the results reinforce interpretation of CTS in VDU workers as a work-related musculoskeletal disorder rather than a classical occupational disease. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):927-936

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“…As expected, the CTS cases were older and reported a longer working history than the non-CTS cases [15,[36][37][38].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Personal risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in female visual display unit workers

Riccò¹,

Cattani²,

Signorelli³

2016

Int J Occup Med Environ Health

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“…[16][17][18] Negative studies have generally not measured exposures at this level of detail. [19][20][21] Usually, one or more of the following work conditions occurring on a regular basis could support work relatedness:…”

Section: Establishing Work Relatednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work-Related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Franklin

Friedman

2015

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America

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“…Palmer et al [7] distinguished 3 types of occupational activity that predisposed to CTS incidence, i.e., the use of vibratory tools, assembly work, and food processing and packaging. According to reviews by Thomsen [8], Mediouni [9] and Van Rijn [10], the incidence of CTS may be partly related to the use of computer…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors determining the effectiveness of conservative treatment in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Zwolińska

Kwołek

2019

Int J Occup Med Environ Health

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Objectives: The study aims to assess selected factors contributing to the long-term effects of the conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Material and Methods: Forty-nine individuals diagnosed with CTS were enrolled in the study. The symptoms resulted from occupational hand overuse in 37 patients. The assessment involved 78 hands before the therapy (study 1) and 1 year after the end of the therapy (study 2). The clinical symptoms assessed included: pain, numbness, tingling, morning stiffness, vegetative disorders and difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL). The range of motion (ROM) in the hand joints and the pressure generated during the cylindrical grip were measured. Phalen's tests, an electrodiagnostic test and a 2-point discrimination study were performed. Results: A significant reduction of symptoms and improvement in tested parameters were found in study 2. The largest ROM in the hand, the lowest level of pain and the largest reduction in the frequency of daytime tingling were found in the oldest patients in study 2. In subjects with better initial electrodiagnostic test results, a significant reduction in daytime numbness and daytime tingling was obtained. In individuals previously subjected to conservative therapy, a significant improvement in the ROM of the hand and a better quality of sensation were noted in study 2. A higher level of pain, a lower reduction in the frequency of daytime tingling, and a smaller improvement in ADL capacity were noted in individuals who overused their hands at work after the therapy. Conclusions: The effects of conservative CTS treatment after 1 year, expressed as the reduction of subjective symptoms, were independent of the patient's age. A worse initial electrodiagnostic test result is a predictor of less favorable therapy results. Hand overuse during occupational activity may negatively affect the effects of conservative treatment in individuals with CTS. A change in the nature of occupational activity positively influenced the long-term maintenance of the effects of conservative treatment.

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Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Related to Computer Exposure at Work? A Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract: It was not possible to show an association between computer use and CTS, although some particular work circumstances may be associated with CTS.

Cited by 46 publications

References 28 publications

Personal risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in female visual display unit workers

Personal risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome in female visual display unit workers

Work-Related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Factors determining the effectiveness of conservative treatment in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

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