OBJECTIVES: In order to determine find out the best methods for a more objective detection of neurologic abnormality in early hand arm vibration syndrome(HAVS), early with analyzing the validity of each of the detection methods was analyzed. We evaluated the relationships between the sensorineural stage of Stockholm-revised vibration syndrome classification and the results of several tests. METHODS: 497 workers were investigated for symptom, exposure duration, the types of tools used, and medical history from January 2000 to December 2007. Pain sense threshold, vibrotactile threshold, hand grasp force, finger grasp force, and a finger tapping frequency test were performed by the workers. RESULTS: The grinder(67.3%) was the most commonly used tool and the mean exposure duration was 14.8 years. Although the pain sense and vibrotactile threshold level tended to increase according to sensorineural stage of the Stockholm classification, there was statistically significant difference in the vibrotactile threshold of 125, 250 Hz (p=0.006~0.038) but not in the pain sense threshold. Hand and finger grasp force tended to decrease according to the sensorineural stage of Stockholm classification and there was statistically significant difference(p=0.041,<0.001, 0.034) only on the right hand side. The tapping frequency also generally decreased according to the sensorineural stage of the Stockholm classification and there was statistically significant difference (p=0.002~0.019) only on the left hand side. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no single standardized method that can objectively diagnose the sensorineural component of early HAVS early, the combination of subjective symptoms, the sensorineural stage of Stockholm classification, the pain and vibrotactile threshold test, the hand and finger grasp force, and the finger agility (tapping) test can objectively detect sensorineural component of HAVS early.
Arm ; Fingers ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome ; Vibration

OBJECTIVES: In order to determine find out the best methods for a more objective detection of neurologic abnormality in early hand arm vibration syndrome(HAVS), early with analyzing the validity of each of the detection methods was analyzed. We evaluated the relationships between the sensorineural stage of Stockholm-revised vibration syndrome classification and the results of several tests. METHODS: 497 workers were investigated for symptom, exposure duration, the types of tools used, and medical history from January 2000 to December 2007. Pain sense threshold, vibrotactile threshold, hand grasp force, finger grasp force, and a finger tapping frequency test were performed by the workers. RESULTS: The grinder(67.3%) was the most commonly used tool and the mean exposure duration was 14.8 years. Although the pain sense and vibrotactile threshold level tended to increase according to sensorineural stage of the Stockholm classification, there was statistically significant difference in the vibrotactile threshold of 125, 250 Hz (p=0.006~0.038) but not in the pain sense threshold. Hand and finger grasp force tended to decrease according to the sensorineural stage of Stockholm classification and there was statistically significant difference(p=0.041,<0.001, 0.034) only on the right hand side. The tapping frequency also generally decreased according to the sensorineural stage of the Stockholm classification and there was statistically significant difference (p=0.002~0.019) only on the left hand side. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no single standardized method that can objectively diagnose the sensorineural component of early HAVS early, the combination of subjective symptoms, the sensorineural stage of Stockholm classification, the pain and vibrotactile threshold test, the hand and finger grasp force, and the finger agility (tapping) test can objectively detect sensorineural component of HAVS early.
Arm ; Fingers ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome ; Vibration

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome ; Humans

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome ; Humans

Recent studies reveal that grip forces during the hand-arm vibration are most significant for the genesis of vibration-induced white finger syndrome. Therefore, exerted grip forces and skin temperatures or fingers were regarded as dependent variables in experiments and the effects of grip temperature, noise, pushing force, vibration and the combined effect of vibration and pushing force were studied. The objectives or the present study were, first, to varify and compare the changes of grip force affected by grip temperature, noise, pushing force, vibration and the combined effect of vibration and pushing force and, second, to observe the reaction of finger skin temperature affected by above factors. Forty-six healthy male students(25.07+/-2.85) participated in five systematically permuted trials, which endured 4 minutes each other. Experiments were executed in a special chamber with an air temperature of 21 C. In each experiments, the subjects were exposed to five experiment types: (l) grip force of 25 N only, (2) pushing force of 50 N, (3) acceleration of vibration 7.1m/sec2(z-direction), (4) pink noise or 95 dB(A) and (5) combination of pushing force 50 N and acceleration of vibration 7.1m/sec2. A repeated-measures analysis of variance(ANOVA) was performed on the grip force to test whether it was affected by noise, pushing force, vibration and pushing force. The present results show that vibration was significantly related to the increase of grip force, but the other factors, such as pushing force, noise and grip temperature had no significant influence on the increase of grip force and that the reaction of finger skin temperature were significantly affected by the skin temperature at start of experiment and grip temperature, not grip force and other experimental conditions. Therefore, we suggest that the management for decreasing the grip force is meaningful to prevent the occurrence of Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
Acceleration ; Fingers* ; Hand Strength* ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome ; Humans ; Male ; Noise* ; Skin Temperature* ; Skin* ; Vibration*

This study was conducted on 103 male workers exposed to local vibration (exposure workers) and 23 male clergical workers not exposed to local vibration (reference workers) to evaluate the effect of local vibration in a automobile industry workers who had used vibratory tools such as electric bolt impacter or grinder. The assessment methods of this study were some tests recommended by Wasserman and Taylor. None of reference workers complained sensorineural symptoms, but 43.7% of exposed workers complained over one of those symptoms. The proportion of non-recovery type, which means that there was no full recovery of temperature of finger tips, was from 0% to 31. 3% in reference workers and from 10.7% to 15.5% in exposure workers. There was statistically significant difference of recovery time of plethysmogram after cold provocation between mean recovery time of 0.44 minutes in reference workers and that of 3.05 minutes in exposure workers. The proportion of bad plethysmogram was from 0% to 4.4% in reference workers and from 3.9% to 7.8% in exposure workers. There was statistically significant difference of discrimination sense between mean length of 2.04 mm in reference workers and that of 2.9 mm in exposure workers. There were also statistically significant difference of pain sense between mean weights of from 5.02 g to 5.26 g in reference workers and those of from 6.81 g to 7.6 g in exposure workers. By the results of multiple stepwise regression analysis the statistically significant variable affecting discrimination and pain sense was exposure and those affecting vibration sense were exposure and age. We concluded that exposure of local vibration in automobile workers was significaritly associated with decrease of sensorineural sense regardless of age and other, possible related variables.
Automobiles ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Fingers ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome* ; Humans ; Male ; Vibration ; Weights and Measures

This study was conducted on 103 male workers exposed to local vibration (exposure workers) and 23 male clergical workers not exposed to local vibration (reference workers) to evaluate the effect of local vibration in a automobile industry workers who had used vibratory tools such as electric bolt impacter or grinder. The assessment methods of this study were some tests recommended by Wasserman and Taylor. None of reference workers complained sensorineural symptoms, but 43.7% of exposed workers complained over one of those symptoms. The proportion of non-recovery type, which means that there was no full recovery of temperature of finger tips, was from 0% to 31. 3% in reference workers and from 10.7% to 15.5% in exposure workers. There was statistically significant difference of recovery time of plethysmogram after cold provocation between mean recovery time of 0.44 minutes in reference workers and that of 3.05 minutes in exposure workers. The proportion of bad plethysmogram was from 0% to 4.4% in reference workers and from 3.9% to 7.8% in exposure workers. There was statistically significant difference of discrimination sense between mean length of 2.04 mm in reference workers and that of 2.9 mm in exposure workers. There were also statistically significant difference of pain sense between mean weights of from 5.02 g to 5.26 g in reference workers and those of from 6.81 g to 7.6 g in exposure workers. By the results of multiple stepwise regression analysis the statistically significant variable affecting discrimination and pain sense was exposure and those affecting vibration sense were exposure and age. We concluded that exposure of local vibration in automobile workers was significaritly associated with decrease of sensorineural sense regardless of age and other, possible related variables.
Automobiles ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Fingers ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome* ; Humans ; Male ; Vibration ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: Various objective tests have been widely used worldwide for diagnosing the hand-arm vibration syndrome. Among these, the cold provocation test has been frequently used to confirm the presence of Raynaud's phenomenon. This study was carried out in order to evaluate finger skin temperature by cold provocation test(10 degrees C for 10 minute) for the diagnosis of hand-arm vibration syndrome METHODS: Fifty-eight workers who had been exposed to local vibration were examined. Information concerning age, occupation, types of vibration tools used, presence of subjective symptoms such as vibration induced white finger(VWF), and numbness and tingling were collected. The subjects were classified into three groups according to their symptoms(Vascular, Neural, and No symptom group). In order to examine the applicability of the cold provocation test using water at 10 degrees C for 10 minute, we compared finger skin temperature between the groups. RESULTS: The mean value of the finger skin temperature at 5 minutes and 10 minutes after cold provocation as well as the recovery rate in the vascular group were significantly lower than that seen in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of finger skin temperature by cold provocation test is very useful method for the diagnosis of hand-arm vibration syndrome. The test results will assist in confirming the diagnosis of the hand-arm vibration syndrome.
Diagnosis* ; Fingers* ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome* ; Hypesthesia ; Occupations ; Skin Temperature* ; Skin* ; Vibration ; Water

Acceleration ; Algorithms ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Reference Standards ; Vibration

OBJECTIVES: To confirm the HAVS in workers exposed to hand-arm vibration with using the objective diagnostic methods METHODS: Several tests were used to help substantiate a clinical diagnosis of HAVS. Some other diseases were excluded by a medical interview, hematologic assessment, urinalysis, X-rays. The hand-arm vibration acceleration level of the grinder was evaluated for considering HAVS. Peripheral vascular changes were examined by a cold provocation test. An electromyography was implemented to ascertain the peripheral neural changes. RESULTS: 8 workers with symptoms in hands & fingers, exposed to hand-arm vibration were examined. Some other diseases(primary Raynauds disease, secondary Raynauds disease in not occupational origin) were excluded by a medical interview, hematologic assessment, urinalysis, X-rays. The hand-arm vibration acceleration level of the grinder was 7. 9 m/sec2. The recovery time of a skin temperature followed finger cooling was significantly prolonged in 6 workers with HAVS. The nerve conduction velocity was reduced in 6 workers with HAVS. CONCLUSIONS: So we report 6 cases of HAVS in grinding workers exposed to hand-arm vibration diagnosed objectively by an exclusion of some other disease, handarm vibration acceleration level, cold provocation test, electromyography.
Acceleration ; Diagnosis ; Electromyography ; Fingers ; Hand* ; Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome* ; Neural Conduction ; Raynaud Disease ; Skin Temperature ; Urinalysis ; Vibration*