Musculoskeletal Health of the Upper Extremity in Emerging Health Professionals

University of Southern California

Status: Completed

Conditions: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Treatments: Other: Work-Related Hand Activities; Other: Academic Coursework

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02587897

HS-15-00004

1R01OH010665-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most expensive upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorder, impacting 10 million people annually and costing employers up to $113,695 per incident. There is currently no established method to detect this disorder prior to the onset of symptoms and nerve damage. Preliminary research suggests that sonography-a relatively inexpensive, widely available, increasingly portable technology-can provide a non-invasive and pain-free method of early detection that could reduce incidence, improve targeted interventions and ultimately reduce costs. The primary aims of this study are to establish predictive validity of a novel method for early detection using sonographic imaging and to identify task components of intensive functional hand activity associated with morphologic changes.

Full description

This longitudinal study will follow dental hygiene students-a high-risk population with minimal retrospective and controlled prospective task exposure-for two years and compare them to a non-exposed cohort of occupational therapy students to investigate the primary aims. This research is directed at the National Occupational Research Agenda's (NORA) Healthcare and Social Assistance sector with a focus on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Exposure Assessment and Musculoskeletal Disorders cross-sectors. Intermediate outcomes of this research will establish sonographic imaging as an early detection tool for workplace-screening and inform methods for combining measures of nerve morphology, neurophysiology, and subjective symptoms for predicting the development of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome. This work will also inform the development of targeted preventive interventions for task components of intensive hand activities that are related to changes in tissue morphology. Identifying morphologic changes in early-stages of pathology and the specific task components linked to these changes are the first steps toward early detection and prevention of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome.

Enrollment: 176 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Enrollment in one of the academic programs (i.e., register and pay for classes)

Exclusion criteria

• <18 years of age
• Prior carpal tunnel release surgery
• Prior diagnosis of median nerve pathology or other poly-neuropathy that includes the median nerve

Trial design

176 participants in 2 patient groups

Dental Hygiene Students

Description:

Students enrolled in the 2-year dental hygiene academic coursework programs at the University of Southern California and Loma Linda University who are exposed to high-intensity work-related hand activities as part of their training program.

Treatment:

Other: Academic Coursework

Other: Work-Related Hand Activities

Occupational Therapy Students

Description:

Students enrolled in the 2-year occupational therapy academic coursework program at the University of Southern California.

Treatment:

Other: Academic Coursework