Characteristics of Disability Recuperation Musculoskeletal Diseases at a Ship-Yard

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to analyze the length of work-related musculoskeletal disability and to identify the various related factors of disability duration. METHOD: Approved cases work-related musculoskeletal disease between Jan 1, 2000 and Jan 6, 2004 were collected by using the workers' compensation company's database and questionnaire. The cases were comprised of 16 more frequent musculoskeletal diseases. 551 approved musculoskeletal disease cases were composed of 295 recuperated cases and 256 recuperating cases. RESULTS: The average length of work-related musculoskele- tal disability were 420.3+/-246.2 day in the recuperated group and 428.0+/-328.9 day in the recuperating group. The mean disability length of musculoskeletal diseases were over one year with similar distribution except for ganglion. The length of disability were not affected by age, employment duration, type and number of co-mobidity, time from claim receipt to allowance, type of treatment. But, operation history and accident type were affected to the length of disability. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the length of work- related musculoskeletal disability was not determined by biomedical disease related factors, however, it determined by social and social insurance systemic factors.

Cognitive-evoked Potential Response in Low Back Pain Patients

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive-evoked potentials (P300) reflects a variety of cognitive functions and cognitive-behavioral strategies have been applied to a number of different chronic pain problems, including low back pain (LBP), headache, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, etc. Several studies showed delayed onset latency and increased amplitude of P300 in chronic LBP patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cognitive processing differences in patients with chronic and acute LBP, and to examine the effectiveness of P300 to detect the mind of compensation in pending case. METHOD: P300 were recorded in 32 patients with LBP. We divided patients into two groups according to the duration of disease onset and the state of legal proceedings. RESULTS: P300 latency and amplitude was significantly increased in chronic LBP as compared with acute LBP (p <0.05). The state of legal proceedings showed no significant difference in P300 latency and amplitude. CONCLUSION: The results we gained suggested that the neurocognitive networks related to decision making and memory processing seemed to work differently in chronic and acute pain. Mind of compensation did not seem to be related with P300 in LBP patients.

Change of Serum IGF-l level in Knee Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND: To examine serum Insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) level in patients with knee osteoarthritis(OA) and to determine the relationship between the serum level of IGF-I with pain intensity and severity of OA knee. METHODS: Serum IGF-I levels measured by standard radioimmunoassay techniques were obtained from 30 knee OA patients and 30 normal controls matched by age and gender. Pain intensity was measured by pain rating scale(PRS) and visual analogue scale (VAS). Kellgren grade also used for assessing the severity of knee OA. RESULTS: No difference was found in serum IGF-I levels between the cases and controls(cases: 279+/-128 ng/dL, controls: 282+/-113 ng/dl). There was no correlation between pain intensity and serum IGF-I levels. There is no significant association between IGF-I level and Kellgren grade. CONCLUSION: Serum IGF-I level does not decrease in knee OA. The serum IGF-I levels can not indicate pain intensity and severity of knee OA.