Musculoskeletal Health of the Upper Extremity in Emerging Health Professionals
| Status: | Active, not recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Orthopedic |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Orthopedics / Podiatry |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 2/6/2019 |
| Start Date: | July 2016 |
| End Date: | July 2025 |
Sonographic Tissue Morphology in Early Stage Work-related Median Nerve Pathology
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most expensive upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal
disorder, impacting 10 million people annually and costing employers up to $113,695 per
incident. There is currently no established method to detect this disorder prior to the onset
of symptoms and nerve damage. Preliminary research suggests that sonography—a relatively
inexpensive, widely available, increasingly portable technology—can provide a non-invasive
and pain-free method of early detection that could reduce incidence, improve targeted
interventions and ultimately reduce costs. The primary aims of this study are to establish
predictive validity of a novel method for early detection using sonographic imaging and to
identify task components of intensive functional hand activity associated with morphologic
changes.
disorder, impacting 10 million people annually and costing employers up to $113,695 per
incident. There is currently no established method to detect this disorder prior to the onset
of symptoms and nerve damage. Preliminary research suggests that sonography—a relatively
inexpensive, widely available, increasingly portable technology—can provide a non-invasive
and pain-free method of early detection that could reduce incidence, improve targeted
interventions and ultimately reduce costs. The primary aims of this study are to establish
predictive validity of a novel method for early detection using sonographic imaging and to
identify task components of intensive functional hand activity associated with morphologic
changes.
This longitudinal study will follow dental hygiene students—a high-risk population with
minimal retrospective and controlled prospective task exposure—for two years and compare them
to a non-exposed cohort of occupational therapy students to investigate the primary aims.
This research is directed at the National Occupational Research Agenda's (NORA) Healthcare
and Social Assistance sector with a focus on the National Institute of Occupational Safety
and Health's (NIOSH) Exposure Assessment and Musculoskeletal Disorders cross-sectors.
Intermediate outcomes of this research will establish sonographic imaging as an early
detection tool for workplace-screening and inform methods for combining measures of nerve
morphology, neurophysiology, and subjective symptoms for predicting the development of
work-related carpal tunnel syndrome. This work will also inform the development of targeted
preventive interventions for task components of intensive hand activities that are related to
changes in tissue morphology. Identifying morphologic changes in early-stages of pathology
and the specific task components linked to these changes are the first steps toward early
detection and prevention of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome.
minimal retrospective and controlled prospective task exposure—for two years and compare them
to a non-exposed cohort of occupational therapy students to investigate the primary aims.
This research is directed at the National Occupational Research Agenda's (NORA) Healthcare
and Social Assistance sector with a focus on the National Institute of Occupational Safety
and Health's (NIOSH) Exposure Assessment and Musculoskeletal Disorders cross-sectors.
Intermediate outcomes of this research will establish sonographic imaging as an early
detection tool for workplace-screening and inform methods for combining measures of nerve
morphology, neurophysiology, and subjective symptoms for predicting the development of
work-related carpal tunnel syndrome. This work will also inform the development of targeted
preventive interventions for task components of intensive hand activities that are related to
changes in tissue morphology. Identifying morphologic changes in early-stages of pathology
and the specific task components linked to these changes are the first steps toward early
detection and prevention of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Enrollment in one of the academic programs (i.e., register and pay for classes)
Exclusion Criteria:
- <18 years of age
- Prior carpal tunnel release surgery
- Prior diagnosis of median nerve pathology or other poly-neuropathy that includes the
median nerve
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