Occupational causes of disorders in the upper limbs.

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, an independent statutory body, recently invited the British Orthopaedic Association to advise whether there was conclusive evidence of an occupational cause of any further types of repetitive strain injuries other than those currently recognised as industrial injuries. Two related conditions are currently recognised as "prescribed disorders": PD A4-cramp of the hand or forearm, in people with an occupation entailing prolonged periods of handwriting, typing, or other repetitive movements of the fingers, hand, or arm; and PD A8 -traumatic inflammation of the tendons of the hand or forearm or the associated tendon sheaths in any occupation entailing manual labour or frequent or repeated movements of the hand or wrist. A group of surgeons with a major interest in conditions of the hand and upper limb was asked to study the topic on the basis of their clinical experience and a review of the literature. Our report appears below.