Upper limb tendinitis and entrapment neuropathy in coal miners.
BACKGROUND
It is well-known that work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders, particularly tendinitis and nerve entrapment, remain a difficult and costly problem in industrialized countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate tendinitis and entrapment neuropathy of the upper limb of Turkish coal miners.


METHODS
Eighty coal miners and 43 age-matched clerical workers were included in the study. The evaluation procedures included collection of personal and clinical data, physical examination and bilateral electrodiagnostic testing. Subjects were examined to diagnose tendinitis and nerve entrapment of the upper limb. Bilateral median and ulnar nerves conduction tests were performed on all subjects. Data were collected between August 2011 and December 2011.


RESULTS
There were 33 subjects with lateral epicondylitis, 10 with medial epicondylitis, and 22 with De Quervain's disease among the coal miners. There were seven subjects with lateral epicondylitis, eight with medial epicondylitis, and four with De Quervain's disease in the control group. The two groups significantly differed in the prevalences of lateral epicondylitis and De Quervain's disease (P = 0.024 and P =0.029, respectively). Sixteen subjects in the coal miners and 12 subjects in the controls had carpal tunnel syndrome (P = 0.66). Thirty-seven subjects in the coal miners had ulnar neuropathy of the elbow (UNE), while four subjects in the controls had UNE; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Lateral epicondylitis, De Quervain disease, and ulnar neuropathy are common work-related upper limb disorders among coal miners.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey. senayozdolap@hotmail.com
Senay
S
Özdolap
Ufuk
U
Emre
Ayşe
A
Karamercan
Selda
S
Sarikaya
Fürüzan
F
Köktürk
D000200:Action Potentials; D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D003032:Coal Mining; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D053684:De Quervain Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D020424:Ulnar Neuropathies / Q000453:epidemiology