Occupational Diseases from Vibrations Exceeding Limits: Reexamination of the Sample 15 Years after the Exclusion fromExposure

Overview

The author presents results of a running longitudinal study which is based on the follow-up of the sample of 121 men, formercoal miners of the Ostrava-Karviná region. The patients hands were affected by vibrations exceeding limits and the occupationaldisease – disease of vessels and nerves of upper extremities – was reported in those patients. The examination of the sample hasbeen undertaken in 5 years intervals, this paper presents the results of the examination which was undertaken 15 years after theexclusion from exposure. The results of previous examinations undertaken in 1993 and 1998 have been already published in theJournal of Occupational Medicine. The results show significant tendency to spontaneous regression of the original pathologicalfindings in traumatic vasoneurosis in the vasospastic stage and in lighter and moderate motoric lesions in a distal part of nervusmedianus.

Key words:
exposure to vibrations exceeding limits, occupational disease, traumatic vasoneurosis, neuropathy of nervus medianus