Читать книгу Musculoskeletal Disorders - Sean Gallagher - Страница 31

Medial epicondylitis is much less prevalent than lateral epicondylitis; however, this disorder still accounts for approximately 10–20% of all epicondylitis (Shiri et al., 2006). According to one study, the prevalence in the general population is quite low, with only 0.4% afflicted. A significantly higher prevalence can be found in individuals participating in activities that repeatedly stress the tendons making up the common flexor tendon (i.e., the pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus, flexor carpi ulnaris, and the flexor digitorum superficialis) (Kiel & Kaiser, 2019). In some occupational settings, the prevalence of medial epicondylitis has been found to range from 3.8 to 8.2% (Shiri et al., 2006; Descatha et al., 2003; Wolf et al., 2010). Three out of four cases are in the dominant arm. Medial epicondylitis is highest among subjects aged 45–64. Some studies suggest that the prevalence of this disorder in men and women appears roughly equivalent (Amin, 2015), but others have suggested greater prevalence in women (Kiel & Kaiser, 2019).

A study examining the prevalence of medial epicondylitis across five industrial sectors was reported by Descatha et al. (2003). This study indicated prevalence between 4 and 5%, with annual incidence estimated at 1.5% for this disorder. Forceful work was found to be a risk factor for medial epicondylitis but not exposure to repetitive work. Risk factors differed for medial and lateral epicondylitis. The prognosis for medial epicondylitis in this population was good with a 3‐year recovery rate of 81% (Descatha et al., 2003). A later study suggested that forceful and repetitive wrist bending, forceful gripping, and rotating/twisting actions of the forearm were significantly associated with medial epicondylitis (Descatha, Dale, Jaegers, Herquelot, & Evanoff, 2013). Odds ratios for these three physical factors were not significant for exposures less than 2 hr/day, but all were significant for exposures greater than 4 hr/day. These findings suggest that repetition (in combination with force) was an important factor in the development of medial epicondylitis in these workers.