[Rotator cuff tear--an occupational disease? An epidemiological analysis].
BACKGROUND
In literature there are only few data which describe the influence of occupation on the development of rotator cuff disease.


METHODS
In a retrospective study, 760 open rotator cuff repairs were analysed and related to the profession and occupational load. Exclusion criteria were traumatic tears and sports injuries. All male persons were statistically analysed and the data compared with occupational patterns of the region, obtained from the Federal Statistical State Office.


RESULTS
Rotator cuff repairs were performed in 472 males who had no evidence for a traumatic origin. After statistical analysis (p < 0.001) we found significantly more patients working in agriculture and forestry (6.38% versus 1.07% in Bavaria) and in the building industry (35.11% versus 13.40% in Bavaria).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that working exposure increases the risk or leads to the clinical manifestation of rotator cuff tears. Although a detailed analysis of individual physical exposure is not available yet, the statistical results indicate that rotator cuff tears must be taken into consideration as a result of ergonomic exposure.
Rolf
O
O
Orthopädische Universitätsklinik König-Ludwig Haus, Würzburg, Germany.
Ochs
K
K
Böhm
T D
TD
Baumann
B
B
Kirschner
S
S
Gohlke
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012421:Rupture / Q000453:epidemiology; D019534:Shoulder Impingement Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*