Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Jul 18, 2024; 15(7): 650-659
Published online Jul 18, 2024. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v15.i7.650
Epidemiology of work-related hand and wrist injuries in a referral center: A descriptive study
Angélica M Rodríguez, Ginna P Tocanchón, Jessica T Villalba, Luis M Pombo, Aníbal A Teherán, Gabriel Camero-Ramos, Karen P Ayala, Gerhard M Acero
Angélica M Rodríguez, Ginna P Tocanchón, Jessica T Villalba, Luis M Pombo, Aníbal A Teherán, Karen P Ayala, Research Center, Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
Gabriel Camero-Ramos, Red Cross, Cruz Roja Colombiana-Seccional Cundinamarca Bogotá, Bogotá 111221, Colombia
Gerhard M Acero, Vigilancia Epidemiológica, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
Author contributions: Rodríguez AM, Tocanchón GP, Villalba JT, Teherán AA, Pombo LM, Camero-Ramos G, Ayala KP, Acero GM contributed to methodology, writing (original draft), writing (review and editing), supervision, funding acquisition, and research; Rodríguez AM, Tocanchón GP, Villalba JT, Teherán AA, Acero GM contributed to conceptualization, and project administration; Teherán AA, Pombo LM, Camero-Ramos G, Ayala KP, Acero GM contributed to formal analysis, data curation, and visualization; Rodríguez AM, Tocanchón GP, Villalba JT, Teherán AA, Pombo LM, Camero-Ramos G, Ayala KP, Acero GM contributed to validation, resources, and project administration.
Institutional review board statement: As the database was anonymized and data were obtained retrospectively, this research was classified as “without-risk” and approved by the local ethical regulation in force (notice number OFC-GHSU-227-2023).
Informed consent statement: As the database was anonymized and data were obtained retrospectively, this research was classified as “without-risk” and approved by the local ethical regulation in force (notice number OFC-GHSU-227-2023), and did not require signed inform consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.
Data sharing statement: Technical appendix, statistical code, and dataset available from the corresponding author at (https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/KPTO4T). Consent was not obtained but the presented data are anonymized, and risk of identification is low. No additional data are available.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Aníbal A Teherán, MD, MSc, Professor, Senior Researcher, Senior Statistician, Research Center, Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas, Cra. 111 159a-61, Bogotá 111321, Colombia. anibal.teheran@juanncorpas.edu.co
Received: April 16, 2024
Revised: May 17, 2024
Accepted: June 6, 2024
Published online: July 18, 2024
Processing time: 86 Days and 9.5 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Occupational hand and wrist injuries (OHWIs) account for 25% of work-related accidents in low- and middle-income countries. In Colombia, more than 500000 occupational accidents occurred in 2021, and although the rate declined to less than 5% in 2020 and 2021, at least one in four accidents involved a hand or wrist injury.

AIM

To describe the OHWIs in workers seen at the emergency room at a second-level hospital in Colombia.

METHODS

An observational study was performed using data from workers who experienced OHWIs and attended a second-level hospital, between June, 2020 and May, 2021. The overall frequency of OHWIs, as well as their distribution by sociodemographic, clinical, and occupational variables, are described. Furthermore, association patterns between sex, anatomical area (fingers, hand, wrist), and type of job were analyzed by correspondence analysis (CA).

RESULTS

There were 2.101 workers treated for occupational accidents, 423 (20.3%) were cases of OHWIs, which mainly affected men (93.9%) with a median age of 31 years and who worked mainly in mining (75.9%). OHWIs were more common in the right upper extremity (55.3%) and comprised different types of injuries, such as contusion (42.1%), laceration (27.9%), fracture (18.7%), and crush injury (15.6%). They primarily affected the phalanges (95.2%), especially those of the first finger (25.7%). The CAs showed associations between the injured anatomical area and the worker’s job that differed in men and women (explained variance > 90%).

CONCLUSION

One out of five workers who suffered occupational accidents in Cundinamarca, Columbia had an OHWI, affecting mainly males employed in mining. This occupational profile is likely to lead to prolonged rehabilitation, and permanent functional limitations. Our results might be useful for adjusting preventive measures in cluster risk groups.

Keywords: Accidents, Occupational, Epidemiology, Hand injuries, Wrist injuries, Occupational health

Core Tip: Colombia is a developing industrial country where most occupational activities are performed manually. Throughout 2021, one in four workers had occupational hand or wrist injuries, often resulting in injuries with a high probability of prolonged rehabilitation, and permanent sequelae. The findings of this research might be useful in improving preventive strategies in the groups with the highest occurrence.