[Osteodensitometry in diagnosis of osteoporosis in occupations subjected to vibration.]

The authors present results of X-ray examination of miners working incleaning mine face, subjected to complex of occupational hazards (dust aerosols, physical overexertion) among which local and combined occupational vibration could be the most important from the viewpoint of possible occupational osteopathy. Examinees were males: 60 ones with suspected vibration disease,. 35 ones with diagnosed vibration disease (vegetative sensory polyneuropathy) stage 1 and 30 ones in reference group matched by age and length of service. For osteoporosis diagnosis (according to mineralization level in distal forearms), the authors evaluated possibilities of digital osteodensitometry standard in occupational therapy with digital low-dose X-ray devices.

[Influence of occupational factors on the bone and joint functional state in the upper extremities and cervical spine in female workers of clothing manufacture].

The studies using multiple X-ray methods covered influence of complex containing working process and occupational environment factors on locomotory apparatus of upper limbs and cervical spine in female seamers engaged into various productions. Comparative analysis involved results of regular (standard X-ray) and special X-ray methods (stereoroentgenography, high definition roentgenography, roentgen densitometry, roentgenogrammetry) in 370 examinees with early and moderate clinical symptoms of occupationally mediated diseases of the stated areas. X-ray studies of locomotory apparatus of upper limbs and cervical spine in clothing manufacture workers, with special diagnostic methods, enabled to determine incidence and severity of functional and structural changes more reliably than via standard examination. The changes revealed were assigned mostly in "early" and "moderate" categories and matched with occupational peculiarities of the workers examined.

[Pathomorphosis of contemporary forms of occupational diseases].

Studies on pathogenetic mechanisms of development, formation and course of occupational diseases revealed pathomorphosis of major specification forms (diseases of bronchopulmonary system, skin, nervous system, locomotory apparatus). Developing pathomorphosis of occupational and occupationally mediated diseases is caused by changed work conditions, lower acting concentrations and levels of occupational factors, influence of harmful ecologic factors, metabolic features, immune state, individual sensitivity to occupational and environmental factors.

[Roentgenometry in complex diagnosis of fluor osteopathy caused by occupational factors].

The author demonstrated that roentgenometric methods enabled objectivation of bone transformation intensity in osteosclerosis and osteoporosis, specification of objective criteria for bone fluorosis.

[State of the locomotion system in blacksmiths working in hot forges]. / Sostoianie kostno-sustavnogo apparata u kuznetsov goriachei kovki.

Hygienic, clinical and roentgenologic studies covered locomotion apparatus in hot forging puncher blacksmiths who are exposed to several occupational hazards with vibration as the leading one. The studies covered work conditions and health state of risk group members-patients with some signs of vibration disease. Some up-to-date roentgenologic methods helped precise evaluation of occupational factors' role in bone manifestations of subclinical vibration disease.

[Osteoarticular function in lift truck operators]. / Sostoianie kostno-sustavnogo apparata u voditelei avtopogruzchikov.

Loader machine operators in Volzhskii Automobile Works, who suffer from cervical osteochondrosis, were subjected to X-ray screening with special applied methods. The screening revealed various compensatory and dystrophic changes involving locomotion apparatus of hands and cervical part of spine. The studied occupational factors proved to enhance the locomotion disorders in the examinees.

[The criterial approach to the diagnosis of changes in the osteoarticular apparatus of persons in vibration-hazardous jobs]. / Kriterial'nyi podkhod k diagnostike izmenenii kostno-sustavnogo apparata u lits vibroopasnykh professii.

A criterial approach to the diagnosis of the skeletal system changes in individuals exposed to industrial vibration, involving the use of the X-ray diagnostic criteria (gerontologic, manual, vertebral) and the criterion based on the absorbed dose of vibration energy (exposure criterion) together with the data on the vibration disease manifestations (clinical criterion), makes it possible to estimate the risk of vibration disease.

[Functional state and development of diseases of the locomotor system in seamstresses in relation to their work characteristics and degree of physical exertion of the hand muscles]. / Funktsional'noe sostoianie i razvitie zabolevanii oporno- dvigatel'nogo apparata u shvei v zavisimosti ot osobennostei ikh truda i velichiny fizicheskoi nagruzki na myshtsy ruk.

Physiological and clinical on-the-spot studies were performed of the labour conditions in 3 groups of female sewing-machine operators (respectively, engaged in making women's dresses, men's suits and men's coats). The analysis performed revealed different degrees of physical load and fatigue in the operators depending on the occupational peculiarities. Specific features of the peripheral nervous system and locomotor system disorders were studied in details, along with the causal relationships underlying the degree of physical load and fatiguability, overstrain development and cumulation. The results of the study were used as a basis for setting Health-Related regulations for sewing-machine operators.

[Physical characteristics of vibration produced by hand-operated machines and its effect on the workers]. / Izuchenie fizicheskikh kharakteristik udarnoi vibratsii ruchnykhxmashin i ee vliianiia na organizm rabochikh.

Clinical studies of vibration disease cases among workers dealing hand-operated equipment: cut-hammers, pneumorammers, pneumopolishers,--revealed diversified physiological influences of different equipment on human organism. The vibrational analysis performed proved that the VD clinical peculiarities were partially due to the percussive impulses' characteristics.

[A method of calibrating the aluminum wedge for x-ray photometric research in occupational pathology]. / Metodika tarirovaniia aliuminievogo klina dlia rentgenofotometricheskikh issledovanii v profpatologii.

Calibration procedure of aluminum wedge by optical density gradient of its X-ray image compared to density of standard bone wedge was described for X-ray photometric studies. Calibration of standard aluminum provided the opportunity to determine skeleton mineralization not only by wedge depth but also by units of mineral salt concentrations.

[Increasing the accuracy of the stereoroentgenophotometric method of studying mineral saturation of the bones]. / Povyshenie tochnosti stereorentgenofotometricheskogo metoda izucheniia mineral'noi nasyshchennosti kostei.

Method of roentgenodensitometry of voluminous objects, developed in Moscow Research Institute of Tuberculosis, is described. The method provides for stereoroentgenography of the studied subject with a special screw wedge, served as a standard. The analysis of films obtained in stereocomparator permits to define an excess of the studied area of bone tissue and determine a corresponding area of the standard for photometry. Stereoroentgenophotometry with the use of a standardized screw-shaped wedge permits a 10-20% increase in the accuracy of determination of bone structure mineral saturation that contributes to improvement of diagnosis in various skeletal diseases.