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Thermography by Specialty
Published in James Stewart Campbell, M. Nathaniel Mead, Human Medical Thermography, 2023
James Stewart Campbell, M. Nathaniel Mead
Carpal tunnel syndrome, a common form of peripheral nerve entrapment, is caused by compression of the median nerve as it traverses under the flexor retinaculum at the wrist, accompanied by the flexor tendons of the fingers and thumb. Irritation of the flexor tendons or their synovial sheaths can result in swelling that narrows the carpal tunnel, placing pressure on the nerve. Bony deformities at the wrist due to injury or arthritis can also compress the median nerve. The neural distribution of the median nerve includes the volar thumb, index, and middle fingers, and the radial half of the ring finger (see Figure 11.48). Classically, CTS patients experience numbness, weakness, tingling, burning, and pain affecting at least two of the digits supplied by the median nerve.89
Ergonomic Principles of Hand-Held Products
Published in Prabir Mukhopadhyay, Ergonomics for the Layman, 2019
A close look at the structure of the human hand will make things clear. The hand has four different parts: shoulder, upper arm, forearm, palm, and the fingers. These are all made of bones which are supporting structures. The wrist (Figure 4.1) is made up of a number of bones called the carpels. Immediately after this are the metacarpals, which extend into the phalanges or fingers. The bones give support to the hand and there are muscles in the upper arm and forearm which helps in movement of the bones at the joint. The important point to note from the design point of view is the carpal bones, which creates a tunnel or bottleneck between the palm and the forearm. All movement of the hand is coordinated by the brain through nerve connections. We now discuss the different ergonomic design issues involved in designing a hand-held product or tool. It can range from a simple spoon to a gear control operated by hand. The basic ergonomic issues are the same, with changes at places which will be discussed in the relevant sections. A word of caution is that these are all general principles, and should be applied with a lot of care and, most importantly, they should not be applied at random in all designs.
Musculoskeletal system
Published in David A Lisle, Imaging for Students, 2012
The wrist is an anatomically complex area with several important ligaments and cartilages supporting the carpal bones. Persistent wrist pain following trauma or post-traumatic carpal instability may be due to ligament or cartilage tears. The two most commonly injured internal wrist structures are the scapholunate ligament and the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC): Scapholunate ligament: strong ‘C’-shaped ligament that stabilizes the joint between scaphoid and lunateTFCC: fibrocartilage disc and adjacent ligaments joining distal radius to base of ulnar styloid; major stabilizer of ulnar side of wrist joint.
Prevalence and risk factors for self-reported symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome among hospital office workers: a cross-sectional study
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2023
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs as a result of compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel at the wrist joint level and is the most common peripheral nerve entrapment disease. CTS is not a simple condition but a serious cause of disability, and is defined as the upper extremity musculoskeletal disease associated with the highest cost among working-age patients in relation to taking sick leave, decreased productivity and personal financial losses [1]. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that all musculoskeletal problems were responsible for an estimated 32.2 cases and an average 12 days off work per 10,000 workers in 2015, in all industries in the USA, while CTS accounted for the highest number of workdays lost (on average, 28 days off work per case) [2]. Early detection of CTS can also be a critical factor affecting the return to work. Workers with a correct and early diagnosis of CTS were found to be much more likely to return to work than workers diagnosed weeks or months later [3].
Women’s wrist and elbow at work: analysis of acute injuries and cumulative trauma disorders to improve ergonomics in female-dominated activities
Published in Ergonomics, 2022
Silvana Salerno, Claudia Giliberti
Many occupations, where the presence of women is predominant, require repetitive movements, often a cause of upper limb occupational disorders, such as epicondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff syndrome, supraspinatus tendinopathy, etc. (Bergamasco, Girola, and Colombini 1998; Nordander et al. 2009; Chen et al. 2010; Bonfiglioli, Mattioli, and Violante 2015; Major, Clabault, and Wild 2021). Most studies, involving cases where women were compensated for work-related disorders, concern carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and epicondylitis (Lippel 2003; Probst and Salerno 2016). Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) refers to the compression of median nerve at the carpal tunnel of the wrist. In most cases, pain, numbness and tingling may extend from the hand up to the arm. Weak grip strength and weakness of the muscles, at the base of the thumb, may persist for a long time. Epicondylitis is another common upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorder among women, especially in the age group 40–60. It involves tendinopathy in which the outer (lateral epicondylitis) or the inside part of the elbow (medial epicondylitis) becomes painful and swollen. In the general population, the prevalence of lateral epicondylitis is higher than medial epicondylitis and both are more frequent among women, as confirmed in medical consultations (Shiri and Viikari-Juntura 2011; Lee et al. 2016). Pain may extend into the back of the forearm and grip strength may also be weakened, determining an impaired function.
Physical ergonomic risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome among rubber tappers
Published in Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2020
Walaiporn Pramchoo, Alan F. Geater, Boonsin Tangtrakulwanich
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a nerve entrapment syndrome. It is caused by persistent compression of the median nerve at the wrist that leads to increased pressure within the carpal tunnel and decreased function of the nerve at that level.1 The characteristic symptoms of CTS include pain, numbness, tingling, and muscle dysfunction in the hand and forearm.2–4 CTS is a frequently occurring neuropathy in patients with hypothyroid5–6 and diabetes diseases.7 Being women, increasing age and high BMI are associated with an increased risk of developing CTS.8–10 The prevalence of CTS in the general adult population ranges from 2.7% to 5.8%.11–12 Higher prevalence is found in jobs entailing the use of vibratory tools, assembly work, and food processing and packing.13 These operations involve ergonomic risk factors such as repetition, forceful exertion, awkward postures, vibration, and long duration of exposure.14–17