Occupational Diseases of the Upper Extremities in Miners Exposed to the Risk of Vibrations Five and Ten Years after Eli-mination of the Exposure

Overview

The authors investigated the development of occupational disease of the upper extremities caused by vibrations in miners of theblack coal mines in the Ostrava area five and ten years after elimination of the risk born e by the upper extremities. They presenta review of different mining occupations, focused on the risk of vibrating tools and working operations. The group of 121 patients isinvestigated with regard to evaluation of subjective complaints and objective findings on the blood vessels, nerves and locomotorapparatus at the time when the occupational diseases were diagnosed and after a five- and ten-year interval. The mean age of thegroup is 41.7 years, the mean period of exposure to the risk of vibrations at the time of diagnosis of occupational disease was 15.3years. The workload was in all instances checked by investigations at the workplace. For objective expression of the vascularfinding the cold test was used and plethysmographic examination, for evaluation of the finding on nerves neurological andelectromyographic examination. The locomotor apparatus was assessed based on X-ray pictures and orthopaedic examination.Nerve damage was detected six times more frequently as compared with vasoneuroses. Arthritic changes of the joints of the upperextremities were diagnosed in 13 % of the cases. Based on the results of objective examinations the authors point out that traumaticvasoneurosis in the vasospastic stage and remote motor neuropathy of the median nerve of a mild and partly medium severe gradedoes not progress after elimination of the risk. It has a marked tendency of spontaneous regression after a five- and ten-yearlatency. Subjective complaints, on the other hand, are permanent as to extent and intensity in 80 % of the group. The authorsevaluate the system of technical and organizational provisions to reduce the risk and the system of preventive examinations todetect in time early stages of the disease.

Key words:
traumatic vasoneurosis, neuropathy, exposure to vibrations