Survey on the Prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Simple Repetitive Workers Who Use Upper Extremities / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to survey on the prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome(CTS) in high risk jobs(meat and fish processing plant and wood plant), by application of Nerve Conduction Study(NCS), a confirmatory diagnostic method. METHODS: Experimental group was 69 workers sampled from meat and fish processing plants and 17 workers sampled from wood plants, who were simple, repetitive workers using upper extremities and control group was 28 workers sampled from managers, secretaries and keepers. All employees were examined through work history, physical examination and NCS. RESULTS: 18 workers(26.09%) in meat and fish processing plants, and 5 workers(29.41%) in wood plants had compatible findings to NIOSH diagnostic criteria for CTS. The experimental group had more symptoms(complaint of upper extremities, Visual Analogue Scale >or= 4(VAS: total 10 point)), signs(Tinel and Phalen test) and prevalence of CTS than control group ( por=7 years). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CTS in meat and fish processing plant and wood plant were 26.09% and 29.41% respectively. Authors propose that meat and fish processing and wood plants should be managed as a risk job category which were designated by OSHA in 1996

Clinical Applications of Modified Superficial Sural Fasciocutaneous Island Flap

In case of soft-tissue defects with bone and tendon exposure on foot, ankle and lower leg, it is often impossible to achieve wound closure by a simple skin graft. The sural artery flap is a fasciocutaneous flap supplied by the sural artery that accompanies the sural nerve and connects with a septocutaneous perforator of the peroneal artery via a suprafascial network of vessels. For the coverage of the defects, we operated 30 cases using modified superficial sural fasciocutaneous island flap based on the proximal or distal. and we covered convoluted wound site with this flap with plicated fascia. We reconstruct complicated skin defects on the foot region(13) and the distal portion of the leg(17). The size of flap varied from 3 x 4 cm2 to 10 x 9 cm2. All 30 flaps survived completely, but minor complications, such as venous congestion, hematoma disappeared after a few days. The main advantage of this flap is a constant and reliable blood supply without sacrifice of a major artery. but disadvantage of this flap is hypoesthesia at the lateral part of the foot. In conclusion, dissection of the superficial sural fasciocutaneous island flap is quite easy and requires less time, and involves less risk to the patient. The nonbulky fasciocutaneous island flap appearance particularly indicated small to medium sized defects with or without convoluted wound surface. The contours of the recipient and donor sites are acceptable aesthetically.