Radiographic findings in patients suspected of subacromial impingement syndrome: prevalence and reliability.

OBJECTIVE: Aims were to (i) report prevalence and (ii) evaluate reliability of the radiographic findings in examinations of patients suspected of subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS), performed before a patient's first consultation at orthopaedic department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined radiographs from 850 patients, age 18 to 63 years, referred to orthopaedic clinic on suspicion of SIS. Prevalence (%) of radiographic findings were registered. Inter- and intrarater reliability was analysed using expected and observed agreement (%), kappa coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, or intraclass coefficients. RESULTS: A total of 850 patients with a mean age of 48.2 years (SD = 8.8) were included. Prevalence of the radiographic findings was as follows: calcification 24.4%, Bigliani type III (hooked) acromion 15.8%, lateral/medial acromial spurs 11.1%/6.6%, acromioclavicular osteoarthritis 12.0%, and Bankart/Hill-Sachs lesions 7.1%. Inter- and intrarater Kappa values for most radiographic findings ranged between 0.40 and 0.89; highest values for the presence of calcification (0.85 and 0.89) and acromion type (0.63 and 0.66). The inter- and intrarater intraclass coefficients ranged between 0.41 and 0.83; highest values for acromial tilt (0.79 and 0.83) and calcification area (0.69 and 0.81). CONCLUSION: Calcification, Bigliani type III (hooked) acromion, and acromioclavicular osteoarthritis were prevalent findings among patients seen in orthopaedic departments on suspicion of SIS. Spurs and Bankart/Hill-Sachs lesions were less common. Optimal reliabilities were found for the presence of calcification, calcification area, and acromial tilt. Calcification qualities, acromion type, lateral spur, and acromioclavicular osteoarthritis showed suboptimal reliabilities. Newer architectural measures (acromion index and lateral acromial angle) performed well with respect to reliability.

Return to Work After Surgery For Trapeziometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis in Relation to Occupational Hand Force Requirements.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the hypothesis that higher occupational hand force requirements are related to slower return to work (RTW) after surgery for trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis. METHODS: Patients treated surgically for trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis from 2001 to 2017 were identified in the Danish National Patient Register. Sustainable RTW (sRTW) was defined as the first period of 4 consecutive weeks without health-related public transfer payments, according to the Danish National Register on Public Transfer Payments. Occupational codes from the Danish Employment Classification Module were linked to a hand-arm job exposure matrix to obtain occupational hand force requirements for each patient. Cox regression models were used to analyze time until sRTW in relation to hand force requirements with adjustment for age, sex, type of surgery, preoperative sick leave, and calendar year of surgery. RESULTS: The study included 2,090 patients. Within 104 weeks, 91% sustainably returned to work. The percentage of individuals in the subgroups that did not RTW was 8% of low-force- and medium-force-exposed patients and 14% of high-force-exposed patients. Medium and high occupational hand force requirements were associated with slower sRTW. The adjusted hazard ratio for sRTW was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.95) for medium and 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.68) for high compared with low hand force requirements. Among patients who returned to work, patients with medium and high hand force requirements had median periods until sRTW of 16 and 18 weeks, respectively, compared with 10 weeks among patients with low hand force requirements. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis regarding RTW after surgery for trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis is generally good, but patients with higher occupational hand force requirements can expect slower RTW. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic II.

Agreement between an expert-rated mini job exposure matrix of occupational biomechanical exposures to the lower body and technical measurements or observation: a method comparison study.

OBJECTIVES: Investigating the agreement between an expert-rated mini job exposure matrix (JEM) of lower body exposures and technical measurements of worktime spent standing/walking and observation-based estimates of time spent kneeling/squatting and total load lifted per workday. METHODS: We chose 16 job titles from the 121 job groups in the lower body JEM and included them in the mini JEM. New expert ratings for the mini JEM were performed by the same five occupational physicians who performed the ratings for the lower body JEM. For each job title and type of exposure, the exposure estimates were a mean of the five independent ratings. Technical measurements of standing/walking for all 16 job titles, and for 8 job titles workplace observations were performed of kneeling/squatting and total load lifted per workday. Data were collected from September to December 2015 and supplemented by data from the NOMAD and DPhacto studies collected between 2011 and 2013. All data were collected in Denmark. Agreement between expert-based and measured/observed lower body exposures by job titles was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation, Bland-Altman plots evaluated systematic deviations and limits of agreement (LoA). RESULTS: Standing/walking showed a rank correlation of 0.55, kneeling/squatting 0.83 and total load lifted per workday 0.71. The mini JEM estimates did not systematically deviate from the technical measurements/observations for time spent standing/walking (mean difference 0.20 hours/workday, LoA -1.63, 2.03 hours/workday) and kneeling/squatting (mean difference -0.35 hours/workday, LoA -1.21, 0.51 hours/workday). For total load lifted per workday, the mini JEM systematically overestimated the exposures compared with the observations (mean difference -909 kg/workday, LoA -3000, 1147 kg/workday). CONCLUSIONS: There was moderate to very high agreement between an expert-rated mini JEM of standing/walking, kneeling/squatting, and lifting exposures and corresponding technical measurements/observations. This method comparison study supports the use of the expert-based lower body JEM in large-scale occupational epidemiological studies.

Increased shoulder pain across an exercise session and subsequent shoulder exercise: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder complaints are common and the recommended first-line treatment is exercise therapy. However, it remains unknown if increased shoulder pain after an exercise session is a barrier for subsequent exercise dose, particularly in people with high fear-avoidance beliefs. Such knowledge could indicate ways to optimise shoulder rehabilitation. The aim was to examine whether increased shoulder pain across an exercise session was associated with a lower subsequent exercise dose, and if high fear-avoidance beliefs exaggerated this association. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from a randomised controlled trial in Central Denmark Region 2017-2019. Participants were employees (n = 79) with shoulder complaints and high occupational shoulder exposures. The intervention was a home-based or partly supervised exercise programme lasting 2-3 months. Linear mixed models were used to examine the associations between change in shoulder pain and exercise dose (number of repetitions, progression level (1-3), resistance level (1-3), and time until next exercise session [days]). RESULTS: At baseline, the participants had a median pain intensity at rest of 2 on a numerical rating scale (0-10). For a 1-cm increase in pain on a visual analogue scale (0-10 cm) during an exercise session, the subsequent number of repetitions, progression level and resistance level were - 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 3.4 to 0.9), 0.0 (95% CI - 0.1 to 0.0) and - 0.0 (95% CI - 0.1 to 0.0), respectively. Likewise, the time until next exercise session was - 0.6 (95% CI - 2.4 to 1.3) days for a 1-cm increase. There were no interactions with fear-avoidance beliefs. CONCLUSION: Increased pain across an exercise session was not associated with subsequent exercise dose, regardless of fear-avoidance beliefs, among employees with shoulder complaints and high occupational shoulder exposures. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov 19/05/2017 (ID: NCT03159910).

Associations between single and combined occupational mechanical exposures and surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome: a nationwide Danish cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate whether the risk of surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) increases with the number of combined occupational mechanical exposures compared with single exposure. METHODS: We reanalyzed data from a register-based cohort study of the entire Danish working population (N=2 374 403) with 14 118 events of surgery for SIS (2003-2008). Exposure information in 10-year windows was obtained by combining occupational codes with a job exposure matrix. For single and combined mechanical exposures, we created three exposure variables of the number of years with specific exposure intensities with or without co-existing mechanical exposures. We used logistic regression as survival analysis. RESULTS: We found exposure-response relations for duration and intensity of each single mechanical exposure except for repetition. The single effect of arm elevation >90º reached a maximum adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) of 1.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-2.0], which increased to 1.8 (95% CI 1.5-2.0), 2.0 (95% CI 1.9-2.2), and 2.2 (95% CI 2.0-2.5) when combined with repetition, force, and both. When combining repetition with arm elevation >90º, force, and both, ORadj increased from 1.5 (95% CI 1.3-1.8) to 2.1 (95% CI 1.8-2.4), 2.5 (95% CI 2.4-2.9), and 2.7 (95% CI 2.4-3.0). For force, ORadj increased from 2.5 (95% CI 2.1-2.9) to 2.6 (95% CI 2.3-2.8), 2.8 (95% CI 2.4-3.2), and 3.0 (95% CI 2.6-3.4). CONCLUSION: We found an increased risk of surgery for SIS with the number of combined exposures; the risk was especially pronounced when the combined exposures included force.

Characterization of persistent post-traumatic headache and management strategies in adolescents and young adults following mild traumatic brain injury.

Characteristics of persistent post-traumatic headache (PTH) in young individuals are poorly known leading to diagnostic problems and diverse management. We aimed to describe headache phenotypes and self-reported management strategies in young individuals with PTH following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). A comprehensive structured questionnaire was used to evaluate headache phenotypes/characteristics and management strategies to relieve headache in 107, 15-30-year-old individuals with PTH. Around 4 months post-injury, migraine-like headache in combination with tension-type like headache (40%) was the most commonly encountered headache phenotype followed by migraine-like headache (36%). Around 50% reported aura-like symptoms before/during the headache attack. Medication-overuse headache was diagnosed in 10%. Stress, sleep disturbances, and bright lights were the most common trigger factors. More than 80% reported that their headache was worsened by work-related activity and alleviated by rest/lying down. Simple analgesics were commonly used (88%) whereas prophylactic drugs were rarely used (5%). Bedrest and physiotherapy were also commonly used as management strategies by 56% and 34% of the participants, respectively. In conclusion, most young individuals with PTH after mTBI presented with combined migraine-like and tension-type-like headache followed by migraine-like headache, only. Preventive headache medication was rarely used, while simple analgesics and bedrest were commonly used for short-term headache relief.

Self-Rated Executive Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Adults With Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess self-reported executive dysfunction in young adult patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms (PCS) 2-6 months post-injury, and the association with self-reported Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). METHOD: This cross-sectional study carried out in a hospital setting was a secondary analysis of data from a separate randomized trial testing the effect of a novel intervention, "Get going After concussIoN " (GAIN), for persistent PCS. Patients (18-30 years) were recruited from a clinical cohort of patients with a hospital diagnosis of concussion or referred by primary care physicians. Main measures were The Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version providing two index scores, that is, the Metacognitive Index (MI) and the Behavioural Regulation Index (BRI), and the Quality of Life after Brain Injury-Overall Scale. RESULTS: Compared with normative data, patients had elevated scores (i.e., worse functioning) on both the MI and the BRI. In linear regression analysis, the MI score, but not the BRI score, was negatively associated with self-reported HRQoL (MI: slope = -.27, 95% confidence interval, CI [-.53, -.02], p = .03; BRI: slope = -.19, 95% CI [-.49, .13], p = .24), suggesting a positive association of subjective executive dysfunction and lower HRQoL. However, the association was attenuated after adjustment for self-reported psychological distress (MI: slope = -.09, 95% CI [-.34, .17], p = .51). CONCLUSION: Self-reported executive dysfunction is common in young adult patients with persistent PCS, but not strongly associated with decreased HRQoL after adjusting for concurrent psychological distress.

Shoulder function after constraint-induced movement therapy assessed with 3D kinematics and clinical and patient reported outcomes: A prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: We hypothesised that reduced shoulder function post stroke improves during constraint-induced movement therapy and that improvement in scapula upward rotation measured with three-dimensional kinematics is associated with improvements in clinical and patient reported outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients were tested pre and post constraint-induced movement therapy and again at three-month follow-up. Kinematic outcome measures - with scapula upward rotation as the primary outcome - during tasks 5 (ReachLow) and 6 (ReachHigh) from the Wolf Motor Function Test were included together with clinical and patient reported outcomes. Changes in outcome measures were analysed with linear mixed models and logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: Scapula upward rotation was reduced from 16.2° pre intervention through 15.9° post intervention to 15.6° at three-month follow-up during ReachHigh. Statistically significant reductions of <2° were also found for shoulder flexion during ReachLow and trunk lateral flexion during ReachHigh. The clinical and patient reported outcomes showed improvements post constraint-induced movement therapy, and at follow-up, the outcomes resembled post values. INTERPRETATION: The minimal improvements in selected 3D kinematic measures of upper extremity movements did not reflect any clinically meaningful changes. Therefore, the clinical and patient reported improvements could not be related to restitution of shoulder function.

Influence of Occupational Hand Force Requirements on Return to Work, Pain, and Disability After Trapeziometacarpal Total Joint Arthroplasty: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the prognosis after trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty for basal thumb osteoarthritis with respect to sustainable return to work (RTW), pain, and disability. Our main hypothesis was that high occupational hand force requirements are related to slower RTW. METHODS: We conducted a 12-month follow-up study of patients who were treated with a trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty in 2003 to 2015 and were active in the labor market at the time of surgery. We used registry information about RTW. Before surgery and at the 12-month follow-up, we obtained data on pain and disability. To obtain estimates of occupational hand force requirements for individual patients, we linked the patients' self-reported job title to a job exposure matrix based on experts' ratings. We used Cox regression models to analyze the time until sustainable RTW and logistic regression models to analyze pain and disability. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were included. Most patients returned to work within 12 months after surgery (86%). For those who returned to work within 12 months (n = 114), mean time until sustainable RTW was 14 weeks (SD, 9 weeks). Higher hand force requirements were associated with slower RTW (for medium- and high-force requirements, adjusted hazard ratios were 0.48 [95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.78] and 0.41 [95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.69]). Occupational hand force requirements were not associated with pain and disability at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: High occupational hand force requirements were associated with slower RTW, but not with pain and disability 12 months after surgery. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic I.

Surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis in relation to cumulative occupational hand force requirements: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if higher cumulative occupational hand force requirements are associated with higher risks of surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis and with surgery earlier in life. METHODS: The study was based on Danish national registers. Among all persons born in Denmark 1931 to 1990, we included those who had been employed for at least 5 years since 1991 by the end of 2000, or later when this employment criterion was reached, up until the end of 2016. Cumulative exposure estimates for 10-year time windows (force-years) were assessed by combining individual year-by-year information on occupational codes with an expert based hand-arm job exposure matrix. First-time events of surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis 2001 to 2017 constituted the outcome. Surgery rates were analysed by a logistic regression technique equivalent to discrete survival analysis using a 1-year lag. We also calculated rate advancement periods. RESULTS: A total of 2 860 448 persons contributed with around 48 million person-years of follow-up, during which 3977 cases appeared (821 among men and 3156 among women). Compared with <5 force-years, the adjusted OR (ORadj) for ≥5 to <10 force-years was 1.39 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.68) and for ≥10 to 30 force-years 1.47 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.71) among men and 1.64 (95% CI 1.50 to 1.78) and 1.29 (95% CI 1.16 to 1.43) among women. The sex combined ORadj were 1.59 (95% CI 1.47 to 1.72) and 1.36 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.48). Among the exposed, surgery was advanced by 3 to 7 years. CONCLUSION: Medium/high cumulative hand force requirements were associated with elevated hazard rates of surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis and advanced the time of surgery by several years.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as Sentinel for Harmful Hand Activities at Work: A Nationwide Danish Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate incidence rates (IRs) of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as sentinels to identify job groups with high hand-wrist exposures. METHODS: A nationwide register-based cohort study of all born in Denmark. During follow-up 2010 to 2013, we identified first-time CTS diagnoses. We established job groups, calculated sex-specific age-standardized IRs (SIRs) per job group. We linked occupational codes with a job exposure matrix, calculated mean hand load estimate per job group, and plotted hand load against the SIRs. RESULTS: We followed 1,171,580 men and 1,137,854 women for 4,046,851 and 3,994,987 person-years; identified 4405 cases among men, 7858 among women; obtained crude IRs of 10.9 and 19.7 per 10,000 person-years. For both sexes, there was a positive association between SIRs and hand load. CONCLUSIONS: Higher SIRs pointed to job groups with higher hand load. Elevated SIRs of CTS may serve as sentinels of harmful hand activities.

Influence of errors in job codes on job exposure matrix-based exposure assessment in the register-based occupational cohort DOC*X.

Objective Job-exposure matrices (JEM) may be efficient for exposure assessment in occupational epidemiological studies, but they rely on valid job information. We evaluated the agreement between JEM-based exposure estimates according to self-reported job titles converted to DISCO-88 codes and according to register-based DISCO-88 codes in the Danish Occupational Cohort with eXposure data (DOC*X). Furthermore, we evaluated the agreement between these two sets of DISCO-88 codes. Methods We used JEM regarding wood dust, lifting, standing/walking, arm elevation >90°, and noise from DOC*X. Participants from previous questionnaire studies were assigned JEM-based exposure estimates using (i) self-reported job titles converted to DISCO-88 codes and (ii) DISCO-88 codes registered in DOC*X, in four time periods (1976-78: N=7707; 1981-83: N=2193; 1991-94: N=2664; 2004: N=11 782). Agreement between the exposure estimates and between the DISCO-88 codes (four-digit levels, 1-4) was evaluated by kappa (κ) statistics. Sensitivities were calculated using the self-reported observation as the gold standard. Results We found substantial agreement (κ>0.60) between exposure estimates for all types of job-exposures and all time periods except for one κ. Low sensitivity (30-65%) was found for the period 1981-83, but for the other time periods the sensitivities varied between 60-91%. For individual 4-digit DISCO-88 codes, the sensitivities varied substantially and overall the sensitivities increased by lower digit level of DISCO-88. Conclusion The validity of the DISCO-88 codes in DOC*X was generally high. Substantial agreement was found for the JEM-based exposure estimates and the DISCO-88 codes per se, although the DISCO-88 code-specific agreement varied across digit levels and time periods.

Exposure-response relationships between cumulative occupational shoulder exposures and different diagnoses related to surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome.

PURPOSE: The aim was to examine associations between cumulative occupational shoulder exposures and different diagnoses related to surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). METHODS: We re-analysed data from a previous register-based cohort study of the Danish working population (2,374,403 persons) with follow-up 2003-2008. The outcomes were eight different SIS-related diagnosis codes (M19, M75.1-5, and M75.8-9) in combination with SIS-related surgery codes. Occupational shoulder exposures were estimated by combining occupational codes with an expert-rated job exposure matrix. Cumulative exposure estimates were calculated for 10-year time windows and expressed as exposure-years. We used a logistic regression technique equivalent to discrete survival analysis. RESULTS: Exposure-response relationships were found between most occupational shoulder exposures and the different SIS-related diagnosis codes. For arm-elevation-years, M19, M75.1, and M75.4 reached maximum adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) of 2.0-2.4, while the maximum ORadj for M75.3 was 1.6; we found intermediate values for the remaining diagnoses. The relationships were almost similar for repetition-years and shoulder-load-years. For force-years, maximum ORadj of 1.7-1.9 was seen for M19, M75.1, and M75.4, while M75.3 reached a maximum ORadj of 1.3. For HAV-years, M19, M75.1, and M75.4 reached maximum ORadj of 1.5-1.7, while M75.3 reached a maximum ORadj of 1.1. CONCLUSION: We found associations between all occupational shoulder exposures and the eight different SIS-related diagnoses; exposure-response relationships were found for most diagnoses. The highest risks were seen for M19 (acromioclavicular osteoarthritis), M75.1 (rotator cuff syndrome), and M75.4 (impingement syndrome), and the lowest for M75.3 (calcific tendinitis).

Acute myocardial infarction in relation to physical activities at work: a nationwide follow-up study based on job-exposure matrices.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate sex-specific risks of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) according to lifting and standing/walking at work. Methods The study population included 1.15 million Danish wage earners. Annual job codes from 1976 onwards were linked to specific exposures using job-exposure matrices (JEM). Cases of AMI during follow-up 1996-2016 were retrieved from national registers. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed by Poisson regression adjusting for demographic and JEM-assessed lifestyle factors. Models addressed physical activities at work the previous 0-2 years (short-term risk) and cumulative physical activities (long-term risk). Results During 21.4 million person-years of follow-up, 22 037 AMI occurred in men and 6942 in women. Exposure-response relationships between recent physical activities at work and AMI were not evident. In men, the fully adjusted long-term IRR for the highest of five exposure categories compared to the lowest were 1.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.15] for lifting and 1.01 (95% CI 0.96-1.07) for standing/walking. In women, the corresponding figures were 1.27 (95% CI 1.15-1.40) and 1.18 (95% CI 1.07-1.30). The latter risk estimate was strongly attenuated, and the trend became insignificant when adjusted for lifting. Findings were only partially supported by sensitivity analyses. Conclusion The study provides limited support to the hypothesis that long-term lifting and standing/walking at work is related to increased risk of AMI. Possible effects of acute physical exertion are not addressed and bias towards the null because of crude exposure assignment cannot be ruled out.

Reducing shoulder complaints in employees with high occupational shoulder exposures: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled study (The Shoulder-Café Study).

BACKGROUND: In Denmark, exercise therapy in combination with work modification is the first-choice treatment for persons with shoulder complaints and high occupational shoulder exposures. To obtain this treatment they must visit several healthcare providers, which makes usual care fragmented and uncoordinated. Therefore, we developed a new intervention which unifies the expertise that is needed. The main hypotheses are that a group-based Shoulder-Café intervention will more effectively reduce (1) shoulder complaints and (2) occupational shoulder exposures than an individual-based Shoulder-Guidance intervention (active control - enhanced usual care). METHODS: A cluster-randomised trial is conducted including 120 employees with high occupational shoulder exposures. Companies (clusters) are randomised to either Shoulder-Café or Shoulder-Guidance with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Participants are 18-65 years old and have an Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) ≤ 40. Both interventions include a home-based shoulder-exercise programme, assessment of shoulder exposures by technical measurements and self-report, and general information on how to reduce shoulder exposures. The Shoulder-Café course also includes three café meetings with physiotherapist-supervised exercises, clinical shoulder evaluation, education on shoulder anatomy, workplace-orientated counselling, and an opportunity for a workplace visit by a health and safety consultant. The primary outcomes are the OSS at 6-month follow-up (hypothesis I), and the mean number of min/day with the arm elevated > 60° shortly after the end of the intervention (hypothesis II). We will use a mixed-model analysis that allows for company clustering, and data will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle. DISCUSSION: Persons with shoulder complaints and high occupational shoulder exposures are an obvious target group for secondary prevention efforts. We developed the Shoulder-Café to reduce shoulder complaints and shoulder exposures while unifying the expertise that is needed to evaluate and treat shoulder complaints. If the intervention is effective, it would warrant widespread implementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, ID: NCT03159910. Registered on 18 May 2017.

Persistent postoperative pain after inguinal hernia repair in relation to occupational lifting and standing/walking: a 6-month follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the risk of persistent postoperative pain after inguinal hernia repair in relation to occupational lifting and standing/walking. METHODS: We conducted a 6-month follow-up study that included all men with an inguinal hernia repair registered in the Danish Hernia Database from 1 January 2015 to 31 October 2016, who were born from 1 October 1949 to 1 October 1998, and who were alive, living in Denmark, and active in the labour market in the week before surgery. Members of the cohort received a questionnaire 6 months after surgery. Exposure estimates were allocated by combining self reported job titles with a job exposure matrix. Prevalence ratios of persistent postoperative pain during activity ≥2 on a numerical rating scale (range 0-10) according to occupational lifting and standing/walking were estimated using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Of 4817 eligible patients, 2609 (54%) returned the questionnaire and 2508 contributed to the analyses. A total of 473 men (18.9%) reported persistent postoperative pain. In the group lifting >1000 to 6125 kg/day, the prevalence was 26.8% compared with 17.5% in the minimally exposed group; adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.44 (95% CI 1.16 to 1.79). For standing/walking >6 hours/day, the prevalence was 23.6% compared with 17.0% in the group standing <4 hours/day; adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.18 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.50). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of persistent postoperative pain after inguinal hernia repair was elevated among men with occupational lifting exposures >1000 kg/day. This finding suggests a preventive potential.

Prevalence and severity of fatigue in adolescents and young adults with acquired brain injury: A nationwide study.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and severity of fatigue in adolescents and young adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) compared with healthy controls (HCs) and to examine associations between fatigue and gender, age and level of education. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 15-30 year old patients with ABI and a convenience sample of 15-30 year old HCs. All participants completed the 20-item Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20). Pathological fatigue was defined as "General Fatigue" ≥12. Adjusted mean differences between groups were calculated using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The adjusted prevalence proportion ratio (PPRadj) of pathological fatigue was calculated using Poisson regression. Results: The patients (n = 334) had higher scores than the HCs (n = 168) on all MFI-20 subscales with adjusted mean differences ranging from 1.7 to 4.7 and a higher prevalence of pathological fatigue (73% versus 29%), PPRadj 2.7 (95% confidence interval 2.1-3.5). Female patients experienced more fatigue than males on the "General Fatigue" and "Reduced Activity" subscales, while no gender differences were found in the HC group. Patients and HCs with elementary education had elevated scores on the "Reduced Activity" and "Mental Fatigue" subscales. Age was not associated with any of the subscale scores. Conclusion: Young patients with ABI had markedly higher prevalence and severity of fatigue than HCs. Age (15-30 years) was not associated with fatigue. No clear patterns of associations were evident with gender and level of education. Abbreviations: ABI: acquired brain injury; CI: confidence interval; GF: general fatigue; GOSE: Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended; HC: healthy control; MANCOVA: multivariate analysis of covariance; MF: mental fatigue; MFI-20: Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20; PF: physical fatigue; RA: reduced activity; RM: reduced motivation; TBI: traumatic brain injury.

Novel interdisciplinary intervention, GAIN, vs. enhanced usual care to reduce high levels of post-concussion symptoms in adolescents and young adults 2-6 months post-injury: A randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for effective interventions to prevent long-term sequelae after concussion is sparse. This study aimed to test the efficacy of Get going After concussIoN (GAIN), an interdisciplinary, individually-tailored intervention of 8 weeks duration based on gradual return to activities and principles from cognitive behavioural therapy. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, parallel-group randomised trial in a hospital setting in Central Denmark Region. Participants were 15-30-year-old patients with high levels of post-concussion symptoms (PCS) 2-6 months post-concussion (i.e., a score ≥20 on the Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ)). They were randomly assigned (1:1) to either enhanced usual care (EUC) or GAIN+EUC. Masking of participants and therapists was not possible. The primary outcome was change in RPQ-score from baseline to 3-month FU. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis using linear mixed-effects models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02337101. FINDINGS: Between March 1, 2015, and September 1, 2017, we included 112 patients. Patients allocated to GAIN+EUC (n=57) reported a significantly larger reduction of PCS than patients allocated to EUC (n=55) with a mean adjusted difference in improvement of 7·6 points (95% confidence interval (CI) 2·0-13·1, p=0·008), Cohen's d=0·5 (95% CI 0·1-0·9). Number needed to treat for prevention of one additional patient with RPQ ≥20 at 3-month FU was 3·6 (95% CI 2·2-11·3). No adverse events were observed. INTERPRETATION: Compared with EUC, GAIN+EUC was associated with a larger reduction of post-concussion symptoms at 3-month FU. FUNDING: Central Denmark Region and the foundation "Public Health in Central Denmark Region - a collaboration between municipalities and the region".

Improving work for the body - a participatory ergonomic intervention aiming at reducing physical exertion and musculoskeletal pain among childcare workers (the TOY-project): study protocol for a wait-list cluster-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is persistently high throughout the world. Work-related factors such as high physical workload (lifting, bending and twisting of the back) are considered to be among the main causes of MSP. Work in childcare includes the need to lift, carry, and support children in a range of activities, requiring several demanding postures and movements, such as bending forward and twisting of the back and sitting on the floor. Participatory ergonomics may represent a solution for decreasing the physical workload to reduce MSP. We present the protocol of a study aiming to evaluate the effect and process of a participatory ergonomics intervention designed to reduce physical exertion during work and MSP (including MSP interfering with work) among childcare workers. METHODS/DESIGN: This study will use a two-arm cluster-randomized design employing a wait-list control, with childcare institutions forming the clusters. Three workshops will be conducted during the 4-month intervention period. Participants will identify risk factors for strenuous work and MSP, develop solutions for reducing the identified risk factors, and implement them in their team. An ergonomic consultant will guide the process. The data collection will consist of questionnaires and objective measures of heart rate and physical activity, observations of physical workload, and information on sickness absence based on company records. Primary outcomes are physical exertion during work and MSP (including pain-related work interference) measured at 4 months. Secondary outcomes measured at 4 months are sickness absence due to MSP; objectively measured occupational physical activity and heart rate; and self-reported self-efficacy, employee involvement, and need for recovery. Alongside the trial, a process evaluation and an economic evaluation will be conducted. DISCUSSION: The study will evaluate the effect and process of a participatory ergonomics intervention to reduce physical exertion at work and MSP among childcare workers. By performing a cluster-randomized controlled trial with an effect evaluation based on both objective and self-reported measures with the addition of a process evaluation and economic evaluation, this study will contribute to the evidence for prevention of MSP among a less studied occupational group. Results are expected in 2018-2019. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN10928313 . Registered on 11 January 2017.