Incidence and Risk Factors for Acute Articular Cartilage Tears in Military and Other Occupational Settings: A Systematic Review.

Damage to the articular cartilage resulting in an acute tear can lead to functional changes within the joint and increase the risk of osteoarthritis developing. There is limited understanding of the association between occupational risk factors and sustaining an acute articular cartilage tear in the military and other physically demanding occupations. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate original research reporting on occupational risk factors associated with sustaining acute articular cartilage tears. METHODS: A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis-Protocols was conducted and registered with the Open Science Framework. Key academic databases were searched using terms from the following concepts: risk or cause, paid occupations, and acute articular cartilage tears. RESULTS: Of an initial 941 studies, 2 studies met the eligibility criteria, both reporting data from military contexts; only one evaluated acute articular cartilage tears in both males and females. One paper focused on articular cartilage injury within the knee and the other within the ankle joint with incidence rates being 0.2 and 0.3 per 1000 person-years, respectively. People in more physically active occupations and individuals with an above-normal body mass index were reported as being at higher risk of sustaining an acute articular cartilage tear. CONCLUSION: Physically demanding occupations, such as the military, may increase the risk for acute tears of the articular cartilage. However, the findings of this review indicate there is a paucity of research to underpin understanding of the injury mechanisms and occupational risk factors for acute articular cartilage tears.

Occupational risk perception of construction workers: a cross sectional study.

Introduction: Construction workers are often exposed to significant injury risk. The aim of our study is to assess their occupational hazards and injury risk perception. Methods: We administered 256 questionnaires to construction workers. The survey was aimed at collecting information regarding occupational risk and hazard exposure perception, risk control and behavioral self-assessment. We analyzed the data obtained in order to highlight any associations between injury risk perception and anamnestic, occupational, behavioral or perceptual factors. Results: Participants were prevalently males (92.37%) aged 21-60 years (94%). They showed a job seniority level of 21.3 (11.51) on average and, ranging from a 1 to 10 score, a danger awareness of 6.8 (2.9), a lack of prevention measures 6.0 (3.3), an improper behavior of 7.3 (2.7), an unpredictable fate of 6.0 (2.9). These factors resulted significantly associated with the injury risk perception. Multivariable analysis highlighted that the injury risk perception was associated with the lack of prevention measure and unpredictable fate. On the other hand, we found a negative association with the workers' improper behaviors. Conclusion: Workers' perception showed fairly uniform average values even when occupational risk was demonstrated. Our analysis suggests a positive correlation between injury risk perception and the idea that injuries are due both to fate and to chance; it also shows a negative correlation between injury risk perception and the idea that injuries are due to improper behavior. A lack of fully comparable studies confirms the need for further studies on the injury risk perception of construction workers.

Trends in Workplace-Related Eye Injuries in the United States From 2011 Through 2020.

Purpose: To provide insight into the current scope of workplace-related eye injuries (WREIs) by describing the demographic profiles and causes of WREIs from the years 2011 through 2020. Methods: The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) dataset on WREIs injuries was used. Descriptive data generated included the frequency of eye injuries, the setting, and demographic data. Results: The BLS reported an estimated 237 590 WREIs in the study timeframe. In that time, the incidence fell from 2.4 to 1.7 per 10 000 workers. These injuries commonly occurred in men (77.1%), White individuals (36.3%), those aged 25 to 34 years (26.9%), and those in the service (23.0%) and production (18.5%) industries. On average, WREIs resulted in a median of 2 missed workdays, with only 5.0% missing more than 1 month of work. Between 2019 and 2020, there was a 15.6% reduction in total WREIs in the US but a 39.3% increase in WREIs among healthcare workers. Conclusions: Men, White individuals, and younger workers might be at increased risk for WREIs. Public health interventions targeted toward improving access to and the quality of protective equipment in these groups and in fields involved in the primary or secondary sectors of industry and healthcare might be the most cost-effective measure to reduce the impact of WREIs on the US workforce.

Smart Work Injury Management (SWIM) System: A Machine Learning Approach for the Prediction of Sick Leave and Rehabilitation Plan.

As occupational rehabilitation services are part of the public medical and health services in Hong Kong, work-injured workers are treated along with other patients and are not considered a high priority for occupational rehabilitation services. The idea of a work trial arrangement in the private market occurred to meet the need for a more coordinated occupational rehabilitation practice. However, there is no clear service standard in private occupational rehabilitation services nor concrete suggestions on how to offer rehabilitation plans to injured workers. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) data can provide a foundation for developing a model to improve this situation. This project aims at using a machine-learning-based approach to enhance the traditional prediction of disability duration and rehabilitation plans for work-related injury and illness. To help patients and therapists to understand the machine learning result, we also developed an interactive dashboard to visualize machine learning results. The outcome is promising. Using the variational autoencoder, our system performed better in predicting disability duration. We have around 30% improvement compared with the human prediction error. We also proposed further development to construct a better system to manage the work injury case.

Positive, but not negative, treatment outcome expectancies mediate the relation between depressive symptoms and treatment-related pain reduction.

Previous research has shown that depression is associated with adverse recovery outcomes following work-related musculoskeletal injury. Treatment outcome expectancies have also been shown to predict recovery trajectories following musculoskeletal injury. The present study examined the role of positive and negative treatment outcome expectancies as mediators of the relation between depressive symptoms and treatment outcome for individuals receiving physical therapy for a musculoskeletal injury. The study sample consisted of 153 individuals who had sustained a work-related musculoskeletal injury to the back or neck within 6 months of enrolment. Participants completed self-report measures of depressive symptom severity, pain severity, and treatment outcome expectancies prior to treatment; pain severity was assessed again after 4 weeks of treatment. The results of this study were consistent with previous research showing significant relations between depressive symptom severity, pain severity and treatment outcome expectancies. Bootstrapping mediation analyses separately assessed the mediating roles of positive and negative treatment outcome expectancies on the relation between depressive symptoms and pain severity. Findings revealed that positive treatment outcome expectancies mediated the relation between depressive symptoms and pain severity, whereas negative treatment outcome expectancies did not. Discussion addresses potential pathways through which positive treatment outcome expectancies might influence pain outcomes. The findings suggest that intervention techniques aimed at increasing positive treatment outcome expectancies, rather than decreasing negative treatment outcome expectancies, might contribute to better recovery outcomes for individuals experiencing pain and depressive symptoms following a work-related musculoskeletal injury.

The effects of career development practices on expected retirement age of injured older workers.

BACKGROUND: Work injury can put older workers at higher risk of disability and early retirement. Rapid population ageing has raised questions about the ability of older workers to continue working, especially for those who have experienced work injury. Career development practices have been highlighted as a form of rehabilitation support to enable longer working lives of injured older workers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore whether career development practices contribute to higher expected retirement age for injured older workers (aged 45 and above). METHOD: A total of 274 older Australian workers employed at large organisations completed a survey about their health, retirement intentions, work injury, and engagement with career development practices. Hierarchical multiple regression and two-way analysis of variances were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Work injury contributed to significantly lower expected retirement age for older workers. Work training and development predicted a significant amount of variance in expected retirement age of injured older workers, and enabled them to work to later retirement ages. There was no statistically significant difference in injured older workers' expected retirement age for those who participated in career discussion with their managers and those who did not participate. CONCLUSION: Lack of career development support can affect injured older workers' ability to participate in employment. The findings highlight the importance for rehabilitation and human resource professionals to have a proactive and educative role in providing career development support to injured older workers.

[TOPICAL ISSUES OF MEDICAL REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL].

The article presents the age-sex structure of people who have suffered severe traumatic brain injury on the example of a municipal medical organization providing medical care and medical rehabilitation in outpatient settings. The high prevalence of this type of injury among males of working age has been established. The duration of temporary disability and the timing of referral of this category of people for medical and social examination are reflected. There is a high level of disability among people who have suffered severe traumatic brain injury, and in most cases they are assigned more severe first and second disability groups. The article reflects the personnel problems of a municipal medical organization providing outpatient medical care in the formation of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team, which require their resolution at the regional level.

Pre-injury health status of truck drivers with a workers' compensation claim.

Truck drivers are a vulnerable population due to the high number of workplace injuries and fatalities predominant in their occupation. In Australia, the road freight transportation industry has been identified as a national priority area in terms of creating preventative measures to improve the health and safety of its workers. With an environment conducive to poor nutritional food choices and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, many barriers exist to creating a safe and healthy workforce. Thus, the current study aimed to describe the pre-injury hospital-recorded health conditions and health service use of truck drivers with a worker's injury compensation claim/s when compared to workers in other industries. Data was obtained from a compensation claims database and linked with hospital admissions data recorded five years prior to the injury claim. Health and lifestyle behaviour data for the occupational code of truck drivers was compared to other occupational drivers, as well as to all other occupations. Analysis was conducted via logistic regression. The results found that when compared to other occupational drivers, truck drivers were significantly more likely to have a hospital-recorded diagnosis of diabetes and/or hypertension, as well as being significantly more likely to have a hospital record of tobacco use and/or alcohol misuse/abuse. The findings show that there is a need to review and revise existing health strategies to promote the health and wellbeing of truck drivers, especially given their challenging work environment.

What Social Supports Are Available to Self-Employed People When Ill or Injured? A Comparative Policy Analysis of Canada and Australia.

Self-employment (SE) is a growing precarious work arrangement internationally. In the current digital age, SE appears in configurations and contours that differ from the labor market of 50 years ago and is part of a 'paradigm shift' from manufacturing/managerial capitalism to entrepreneurial capitalism. Our purpose in this paper is to reflect on how a growing working population of self-employed people accesses social support systems when they are not working due to injury and sickness in the two comparable countries of Canada and Australia. We adopted 'interpretive policy analysis' as a methodological framework and searched a wide range of documents related to work disability policy and practice, including official data, legal and policy texts from both countries, and five prominent academic databases. Three major themes emerged from the policy review and analysis: (i) defining self-employment: contested views; (ii) the relationship between misclassification of SE and social security systems; (iii) existing social security systems for workers and self-employed workers: Ontario and NSW. Our comparative discussion leads us toward conclusions about what might need to be done to better protect self-employed workers in terms of reforming the existing social security systems for the countries. Because of similarities and differences in support available for SE'd workers in the two countries, our study provides insights into what might be required to move the different countries toward sustainable labour markets for their respective self-employed populations.

Differences between men and women in their risk of work injury and disability: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Health responses associated with occupational exposures can vary between men and women. AIMS: This study reviewed the work injury and disability risks associated with similar types of occupational exposures for men and women within and across occupations. MATERIALS & METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken of observational studies published between 2009 and 2019. Studies were required to empirically compare men and women for associations between occupational exposures and work injury or disability outcomes. Included studies were appraised for methodological quality and medium to high rated studies were compared for risk differences between men and women. RESULTS: Of 14,006 records identified, 440 articles were assessed for methodological quality, and 33 medium to high rated studies were included and reviewed. Among all occupations, the association between physical exposures, job demands, noise, and repetitive tasks, and injury risk were stronger among men. The relationship between repetitive tasks and sickness absence was stronger among women. Most studies examining psychological exposures found no risk differences for men and women across occupations. Men were at higher injury risk in certain occupations in primary and secondary industry sectors involving physical exposures and some chemical/biological exposures. Women were at higher injury risk for the physical demands and repetitive tasks of health care and aluminum production occupations. CONCLUSION: This review found that men and women can have different work injury and disability risks, both across and within the same occupations, for some physical exposures and to a lesser extent for some chemical and biological exposures. These differences might be a result of occupation-specific task differences.

Differences in workers' compensation claim rates for within-province and out-of-province workers in British Columbia, Canada, 2010-2017.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the work-related injury and illness risk of out-of-province workers. This study examines whether there are differences in work-related injury and illness claim rates between within-province and out-of-province workers in British Columbia (BC), Canada. METHODS: Workers' compensation claim data for injuries and illnesses in BC from 2010 to 2017 were linked with denominator data from Statistics Canada. Multivariable negative binomial regression estimated the claim rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for out-of-province workers with all, health care-only (HCO), short-term disability, long-term disability, and fatality (SLF), and serious injury (SI) claims, compared to within-province workers. RESULTS: Compared to within-province workers, out-of-province workers had a lower total claim rate (RR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.52-0.57), adjusting for sex, age, industry sector, and year. Differences in rates differed by claim type, with the largest differences for HCO claims (RR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.47-0.52) and smallest differences for SI claims (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.78-0.92). Sex-stratified models showed larger differences for males than females, with older female out-of-province workers having elevated SI claim rates. Industry-specific models showed that, even in sectors with high proportions of out-of-province workers' claims, these workers have lower claim rates than within-province workers. CONCLUSIONS: Out-of-province workers generally have lower claim rates than within-province workers. The overall duration of work exposure, and underreporting or underclaiming, are factors that may explain these lower claim rates. Understanding the determinants and differences of these claim rates may improve the administration and adjudication of claims while also identifying where further prevention measures may be merited.

The Impact of Adverse Employment and Working Conditions on the Risk of Workplace Injury in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Employment standards (ES) include having a regular payday, regular breaks, the right to paid sick or vacation time, and paid wages. Inadequate ES contribute to the labour market vulnerability of workers; however, they are not typically considered to be risk factors for workplace injury. In a sample of Canadian workers, we examine the risk of injury associated with inadequate ES, independent of, and combined with inadequate workplace protections from workplace hazards. METHODS: Data from 2,803 adults working 15 hours or more/week in workplaces with at least five employees were analysed. We explored associations between exposure to workplace hazards with inadequate protections [termed occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability] and inadequate ES on workplace injury (physical or mental injury; injury requiring time off). Additive interaction models were used to examine the independent and combined effects of these exposures. RESULTS: Occupational health and safety vulnerability and inadequate ES were independently associated with increased injury outcomes. Adjusted models showed an additive relationship for all injury outcomes between OHS vulnerability and inadequate ES. Statistically significant superadditive relationships were observed for physical injury risk with policy and procedure vulnerability plus inadequate ES [synergy index (S) 1.50, 95% CI: 1.13-2.00] and for overall OHS vulnerability plus inadequate ES (S 1.53, 95% CI: 1.16-2.02), suggesting a combined effect greater than independent effects. CONCLUSION: Occupational health and safety vulnerability and inadequate ES are independently associated with workplace injury. For certain injury outcomes, the combined effect of OHS vulnerability and inadequate ES is greater than the independent effects of each individual exposure.

Lesiones de Lisfranc: repercusión clínico-funcional / Lisfranc lesions: clinical-functional repercussion

Resumen: Objetivo: Valoración clínica-funcional de pacientes con lesión de Lisfranc sin causa laboral ni deportiva tratados en nuestro centro. Material y métodos: Se analizaron 13 pacientes con lesión de Lisfranc sin causa laboral ni deportiva, divididos en dos grupos, lesiones de alta energía y de baja energía. Valoración del retorno a la actividad laboral y deportiva previa a la lesión y el uso de calzado y plantillas posteriormente. Se recogen las puntuaciones del test AOFAS y EVA postoperatorio así como la aparición de complicaciones posteriores a la recuperación de la lesión. Resultados: El grupo de alta energía lo formaron siete pacientes que fueron intervenidos en una media de 7.3 días; cuatro presentaron secuelas postquirúrgicas. De estos pacientes, un paciente no pudo reincorporarse a su actividad laboral previa y dos pacientes no pudieron realizar el deporte que practicaban previamente a la lesión. El AOFAS fue de 79.4 y el EVA de 2.8. En el grupo de baja energía encontramos seis pacientes intervenidos en 5.6 días de media. Todos ellos pudieron reincorporarse a su actividad laboral y deportiva previa. El AOFAs fue de 84.8 y el EVA de 1.6. En ninguna de las variables estudiadas se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Conclusión: Los pacientes con lesión de Lisfranc fuera del ámbito laboral y deportivo presentan buenos resultados clínicos y funcionales.

Abstract: Objective: Clinical and functional evaluation of patients with Lisfranc lesion without work or sport cause and treated in our center. Material and methods: Thirteen patients with Lisfranc lesion without occupational or sports causes were divided into two groups, high-energy and low-energy injuries. Were analyzed the return to work and sports activity prior to the injury and the use of footwear and insoles after the injury. Also were assessed AOFAS and EVA postoperative score and posterior complications after lesion recovery. Results: High-energy group included 7 patients who underwent surgery on an average of 7.3 days. Of the total of patients, 4 presented post-surgical sequelae. Of these patients, one patient was unable to return to their previous work activity and two patients were unable to practice the usual sports activity. The AOFAS was 79.4 and EVA 2.8. In the low energy group, we found six patients operated on 5.6 days on average. All of them were able to return to their previous work and sports activity. The AOFAS were 84.8 and the EVA 1.6. Statistically significant differences were not observed in any of the variables studied. Conclusion: Patients with Lisfranc injury out of laboral or sports background present good clinical and functional results.

Days away from work injury and associated factors among waste collectors in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: In most cities of low-income countries, waste management is a labour intensive task, which exposes workers to numerous occupational hazards. This study was aimed to investigate the magnitude of days away from work-related injury and associated factors among organized waste collectors in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia. METHOD: A pre-tested questionnaire and observation checklist based cross-sectional study design was employed from June 1 to 30, 2017. Data was analysed using SPSS for windows 20.0. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression methods were used to describe the study population and assess the association between dependent and independent variables, respectively. RESULT: From the total of 279 waste collectors involved as a study participant, 10% of them reported at least one day away from work injury during the last twelve months. Being married is 87% less likely to be injured as compared to be a single. The odds of injury were 4.5 times higher among personal protective equipment users as compared to their counterparts. Waste collectors, who had less than 1000 Birr per month income, were 3 times more likely to be injured than those with income greater than 1,001 Birr. CONCLUSIONS: Days away from work injury among waste collectors is a public health problem and has an impact on the economic and social well-being of workers. Therefore, strengthening the provision of personal protective devices and ensuring its utilization is highly recommended.

Geographic variation in work disability burden: Identifying hotspots, coldspots, and associated sociodemographic factors.

OBJECTIVES: To identify geographic hotspots and coldspots of work disability burden and their associated sociodemographic factors in Australia. METHODS: Using Australian workers' compensation and census data, we calculated weeks of compensated time off work per 1000 labor force, an indicator of work disability burden, at Statistical Area Level 4, the smallest level of labor force data produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Records included all claims with at least 1 day of compensated time off work lodged between 2010 and 2015. Work disability burden was z-transformed by state and territory and mapped across Australia. Statistical Areas that were more than 1 standard deviation from the state or territory mean were considered hotspots and coldspots. We tested several sociodemographic factors as predictors of work disability burden. RESULTS: Work disability burden hotspots were concentrated in lower socioeconomic suburbs and exurbs of state capitals, in addition to several regional areas. Coldspots were primarily in wealthy central urban and suburban areas. Factors associated with greater work disability burden include higher area socioeconomic disadvantage, rurality, lower labor force participation, higher unemployment, higher proportion of work in production industries and in blue-collar occupations, and higher numbers of those with core activity limitations, those aged 65+ years, and foreign-born residents. CONCLUSIONS: Work disability burden is unequally distributed across Australia and strongly influenced by sociodemographic and occupational factors. The findings can guide more efficient allocation of resources for work disability prevention and rehabilitation.

Air Pollution's Impact on the Economic, Social, Medical, and Industrial Injury Environments in China.

In this era of rapid economic development, it is inevitable that economic activities eventually cause serious damage to the environment's air quality, making it the focus of global public health. If the treatment efficiency of medical accidents can be improved, then this can significantly stabilize society and improve production efficiency. Past research has mainly focused on work safety and health issues, seldom discussing economic, social, medical, and environmental pollution issues together, and, most generally, adopted static methods that fail to recognize how air pollution affects the overall economy, society, medical care, and external environment. In order to more deeply understand the changes among social, economic activities, and environmental issues due to air pollution, this study proposes a meta-two-stage undesirable dynamic DDF (Direction Distance Function) that, under an exogenous model, divides the 30 provinces of China into high-income regions and middle-income regions and explores the economic, social, medical, and environmental efficiencies between the two areas to resolve the lack of related static analyses. The empirical results are as follows. (1) The AQI (air quality index) significantly impacts the efficiency of medical injuries in various regions. (2) When the AQI is considered, the medical insurance expenditure efficiency score value of high-income areas is lower than the value without the AQI. (3) When the AQI is considered, the efficiency value of the number of work injury insurance benefits in the middle-income area is lower than the efficiency value without the AQI.

Are we putting ourselves in danger? Occupational hazards and job safety for orthopaedic surgeons.

As physicians, we strive to meet the needs of our patients. In doing so, we are often exposed to hazards that have the potential to not only compromise our health, but also our ability to deliver the best possible healthcare. Occupational hazards specific to the field of orthopaedics include infectious organisms, radiation, surgical smoke, chemicals, hazardous noise, musculoskeletal injury, and psychosocial stressors. Even though orthopaedic surgeons acknowledge the risk, most lack in-depth knowledge of the associated long-term harm associated with these hazards and ways of reducing risk of exposure. Orthopaedic surgeons should increase awareness, follow established guidelines, and integrate preventative measures to create the safest possible work environment. It is our hope that by improving our own health, we will be better equipped to address the health concerns of those we serve-our patients.

[Lisfranc lesions: clinical-functional repercussion]. / Lesiones de Lisfranc: repercusión clínico-funcional.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical and functional evaluation of patients with Lisfranc lesion without work or sport cause and treated in our center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with Lisfranc lesion without occupational or sports causes were divided into two groups, high-energy and low-energy injuries. Were analyzed the return to work and sports activity prior to the injury and the use of footwear and insoles after the injury. Also were assessed AOFAS and EVA postoperative score and posterior complications after lesion recovery. RESULTS: High-energy group included 7 patients who underwent surgery on an average of 7.3 days. Of the total of patients, 4 presented post-surgical sequelae. Of these patients, one patient was unable to return to their previous work activity and two patients were unable to practice the usual sports activity. The AOFAS was 79.4 and EVA 2.8. In the low energy group, we found six patients operated on 5.6 days on average. All of them were able to return to their previous work and sports activity. The AOFAS were 84.8 and the EVA 1.6. Statistically significant differences were not observed in any of the variables studied. CONCLUSION: Patients with Lisfranc injury out of laboral or sports background present good clinical and functional results.

OBJETIVO: Valoración clínica-funcional de pacientes con lesión de Lisfranc sin causa laboral ni deportiva tratados en nuestro centro. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se analizaron 13 pacientes con lesión de Lisfranc sin causa laboral ni deportiva, divididos en dos grupos, lesiones de alta energía y de baja energía. Valoración del retorno a la actividad laboral y deportiva previa a la lesión y el uso de calzado y plantillas posteriormente. Se recogen las puntuaciones del test AOFAS y EVA postoperatorio así como la aparición de complicaciones posteriores a la recuperación de la lesión. RESULTADOS: El grupo de alta energía lo formaron siete pacientes que fueron intervenidos en una media de 7.3 días; cuatro presentaron secuelas postquirúrgicas. De estos pacientes, un paciente no pudo reincorporarse a su actividad laboral previa y dos pacientes no pudieron realizar el deporte que practicaban previamente a la lesión. El AOFAS fue de 79.4 y el EVA de 2.8. En el grupo de baja energía encontramos seis pacientes intervenidos en 5.6 días de media. Todos ellos pudieron reincorporarse a su actividad laboral y deportiva previa. El AOFAs fue de 84.8 y el EVA de 1.6. En ninguna de las variables estudiadas se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas. CONCLUSIÓN: Los pacientes con lesión de Lisfranc fuera del ámbito laboral y deportivo presentan buenos resultados clínicos y funcionales.

Work-related musculoskeletal injuries in prosthetists and orthotists in Australia.

Objective. This study aims to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in prosthetists/orthotists working in Australia. Secondary to this, the relationship between work-related hazards and work-related musculoskeletal disorders will be examined. Methods. In 2012, a self-report survey was conducted with the prosthetist/orthotist workforce in Australia (N = 139, 56% response rate). Data on workplace physical and psychosocial hazards, job satisfaction, work-life balance and musculoskeletal discomfort were collected. Predictors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was 80%. Gender (ß = 1.31, p = 0.030), total weekly hours (ß = 0.9, p < 0.010) and physical (ß = 1.91, p < 0.010) and psychosocial (ß = 1.28, p < 0.010) hazards were all associated with reporting of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Females reported higher levels of work-related musculoskeletal disorder discomfort than males in all body areas. Conclusions. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders prevalence is high in prosthetists/orthotists. This suggests that focus on workplace injury prevention is required. Targeted prevention requires systematic identification and then control of all relevant workplace hazards.

Age Differences in Work-Disability Duration Across Canada: Examining Variations by Follow-Up Time and Context.

Purpose This study aimed to understand age differences in wage-replacement duration by focusing on variations in the relationship across different periods of follow-up time. Methods We used administrative claims data provided by six workers' compensation systems in Canada. Included were time-loss claims for workers aged 15-80 years with a work-related injury/illness during the 2011 to 2015 period (N = 751,679 claims). Data were coded for comparability across cohorts. Survival analysis examined age-related differences in the hazard of transitioning off (versus remaining on) disability benefits, allowing for relaxed proportionality constraints on the hazard rates over time. Differences were examined on the absolute (hazard difference) and relative (hazard ratios [HR]) scales. Results Older age groups had a lower likelihood of transitioning off wage-replacement benefits compared to younger age groups in the overall models (e.g., 55-64 vs. 15-24 years: HR 0.62). However, absolute and relative differences in age-specific hazard rates varied as a function of follow-up time. The greatest age-related differences were observed at earlier event times and were attenuated towards a null difference across later follow-up event times. Conclusions Our study provides new insight into the workplace injury/illness claim and recovery processes and suggests that older age is not always strongly associated with worse disability duration outcomes. The use of data from multiple jurisdictions lends external validity to our findings and demonstrates the utility of using cross-jurisdictional data extracts. Future work should examine the social and contextual determinants that operate during various recovery phases, and how these factors interact with age.