TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalenza e fattori di rischio della sindrome del tunnel carpale e della neuropatia del nervo ulnare al gomito in una popolazione di operaie addette alla pulizia degli ambienti ospedalieri. Studio multicentrico toscano
AU - Mondelli, Mauro
AU - Grippo, Antonello
AU - Mariani, Maurizio
AU - Ansuini, Rita
AU - Baldasseroni, Alberto
AU - Ballerini, Michele
AU - Bandinelli, Chiara
AU - Graziani, Maura
AU - Luongo, Franca
AU - Mancini, Rossana
AU - Manescalchi, Piergiovanni
AU - Pellegrini, Stefania
AU - Sgarrella, Carla
AU - Giannini, Fabio
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Objective: To determine the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) in a cohort of floor cleaners and to check differences between workers with and without CTS. Methods: All female floor cleaners of three hospitals in Tuscany were contacted. Clinical and electrophysiological severity of CTS and UNE were evaluated with standardised scales and symptoms were assessed with the self-administered Boston Questionnaire (BQ); demographic and non-occupational factors and durations of current and previous occupations were recorded. Univariate analysis of risk factors between workers with and without CTS was performed. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the capacity of independent variables to predict CTS. Results: Out of a total of 179 cleaners, 145 (81%), mean age 39.6 years (20-64 years), were enrolled in the study; 70 (48%) had CTS (diagnosis based on clinical and electrophysiological findings), 17 (12%) had asymptomatic neurographic anomalies of the median nerve and 12 (8%) had symptoms without delay of median nerve conduction. BQ symptom and hand function scores were anomalous in 108 (74%) and 84 (58%) subjects, respectively. UNE was detected in 7/103 women, asymptomatic delay of the ulnar nerve across the elbow in nine and symptoms of UNE without neurographic anomalies in two. Univariate analysis showed that cleaners with CTS were older, had greater BMI and longer exposure to cleaning with previous employers than those without CTS. In the logistic regression, the only predictor of CTS was duration of cleaning with previous employers (O.R. 3.0, 95% CI 1.6-5.7). Conclusions: These results indicate a high occurrence of CTS in floor cleaners, UNE is less frequent than CTS, presumably due to repetitive movements that stress wrists more than elbows. The only predictive factor of CTS was the duration of cleaning as an occupation with previous employers. Cleaning per se may not be a risk factor for CTS, but how it is performed.
AB - Objective: To determine the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) in a cohort of floor cleaners and to check differences between workers with and without CTS. Methods: All female floor cleaners of three hospitals in Tuscany were contacted. Clinical and electrophysiological severity of CTS and UNE were evaluated with standardised scales and symptoms were assessed with the self-administered Boston Questionnaire (BQ); demographic and non-occupational factors and durations of current and previous occupations were recorded. Univariate analysis of risk factors between workers with and without CTS was performed. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the capacity of independent variables to predict CTS. Results: Out of a total of 179 cleaners, 145 (81%), mean age 39.6 years (20-64 years), were enrolled in the study; 70 (48%) had CTS (diagnosis based on clinical and electrophysiological findings), 17 (12%) had asymptomatic neurographic anomalies of the median nerve and 12 (8%) had symptoms without delay of median nerve conduction. BQ symptom and hand function scores were anomalous in 108 (74%) and 84 (58%) subjects, respectively. UNE was detected in 7/103 women, asymptomatic delay of the ulnar nerve across the elbow in nine and symptoms of UNE without neurographic anomalies in two. Univariate analysis showed that cleaners with CTS were older, had greater BMI and longer exposure to cleaning with previous employers than those without CTS. In the logistic regression, the only predictor of CTS was duration of cleaning with previous employers (O.R. 3.0, 95% CI 1.6-5.7). Conclusions: These results indicate a high occurrence of CTS in floor cleaners, UNE is less frequent than CTS, presumably due to repetitive movements that stress wrists more than elbows. The only predictive factor of CTS was the duration of cleaning as an occupation with previous employers. Cleaning per se may not be a risk factor for CTS, but how it is performed.
KW - Carpal tunnel Syndrome
KW - Floor-cleaners
KW - Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745148244&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33745148244&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Articolo
AN - SCOPUS:33745148244
VL - 2
SP - 183
EP - 193
JO - Rivista Italiana di Neurobiologia
JF - Rivista Italiana di Neurobiologia
SN - 0035-6336
IS - 4
ER -