Work-related cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremity: navigating the epidemiologic literature.

BACKGROUND Cumulative trauma disorder of the upper extremity (CTDUE) is an umbrella term used to describe disorders resulting from repeated use of the upper extremity over time rather than a specific incident. The primary purpose of this article is to summarize the literature regarding the rate of work-related CTDUE, while drawing attention to the various factors contributing to the wide range of reported findings. METHODS The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health and Medline databases were searched for articles focusing on etiology or rates of occurrence of work-related CTDUE and their findings were summarized. RESULTS Potential reasons for rising rates, a gender differential, and the substantial range in rates and rate ratios are delineated and important factors to consider when interpreting rates derived from workers' compensation data are detailed. CONCLUSIONS Future research should attempt to correctly identify more specific categories of CTDUE in well-defined and accurately-quantified "at risk" populations to provide more meaningful information regarding the epidemiology of CTDUE and the effectiveness of control activities.

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