Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorders Consortium

At a glance

Occupational health research partners at universities and state agencies work together to prevent work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. This page includes links to work-related research from consortium partners.

Background

NIOSH began a collaborative research program to prevent work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The program has research partners at six universities and one state agency. The goal of the program is to determine the risk for work-related:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tendinitis of the forearm and wrist
• Shoulder disorders

MSD risk is measured based on:

• Hand activity level
• Amount of forceful exertion required
• Awkward postures
• Hand-transmitted vibration

Studies from this collaboration consider individual MSD risk factors, including:

• Age
• Sex
• Body mass index (weight in relation to height)
• Comorbidities

These studies have included more than 4,000 workers in many industries. These studies will:

• Determine level of job demands that increase upper limb MSDs
• See if exposure predicts health outcomes
• Guide prevention practices

Research completed by NIOSH

This section lists articles published by researchers at NIOSH as part of the Consortium. If you are interested in receiving more information about the articles listed below, please contact CDC-INFO.

Meyers AR, Wurzelbacher SJ, Krieg EF, et al. Work-Related Risk Factors for Rotator Cuff Syndrome in a Prospective Study of Manufacturing and Healthcare Workers. Human Factors. 2023; 65(3):419-434. doi:10.1177/00187208211022122

Burt S, Deddens JA, Crombie K, Jin Y, Wurzelbacher S, Ramsey J. A prospective study of carpal tunnel syndrome: Workplace and individual risk factors. Occup Environ Med. 2013 Aug; 70(8):568-537.

Burt S. Author's response: Is carpal tunnel syndrome overdiagnosed? Occup Environ Med 2012 Sep; 69(9):690.

Burt S, Crombie K, Jin Y, Wurzelbacher S, Ramsey J, Deddens J. Workplace and individual risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome. Occup Environ Med 2011; 68:928-33.

Wurzelbacher S, Burt S, Crombie K, Ramsey J, Luo L, Allee S, Jin Y. A comparison of assessment methods of hand activity and force for use in calculating the ACGIH® hand activity level (HAL) TLV®. J Occup Environ Hyg 2010 Jul;7(7):407-16.

University of California Berkeley and San Francisco

These articles were published by researchers at the University of California as part of the Consortium. Additional information about these and other ergonomic-related articles can be found on UC Berkeley's website.

University of Connecticut

These articles were published by researchers at the University of Connecticut as part of the Consortium.

University of Iowa

These articles were published by researchers at the University of Iowa as part of the Consortium.

University of Utah/University of Wisconsin

These articles were published by researchers at the University of Utah and the University of Wisconsin as part of the Consortium.

Washington State Department of Labor and Industry SHARP Program

These articles were published by researchers at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industry SHARP Program as part of the Consortium. For additional information about these and other articles, visit the SHARP Program website.

Washington University in St. Louis

These articles were published by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis as part of the Consortium. Articles available on digital commons can be found at on the Washington University in St. Louis website.

Research completed using pooled data

These articles were published by researchers using data pooled from Consortium members.

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Material produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a work of the United States government and is in the public domain.

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