The chronic effects of mechanical trauma to the skin: a review of the literature.

This paper summarizes the findings of a NIOSH reported entitled "The Chronic Effects of Repeated Mechanical Trauma to the Skin: A Description of the Problem in the Workplace" (the Trauma Report). Medical literature and U.S. health statistics (population surveys and occupational health reports) were reviewed to determine the long-range impact of repeated mechanical trauma sustained in the workplace. Trauma was rarely recognized as contributing to dermatological disorders. Conventional sources of information were found to be inadequate for precise estimation of costs. A minimal estimate of the annual cost of cutaneous disorders resulting from repeated mechanical trauma to the skin is $15 million.