[The risk of vibrations to the hand-arm system and cumulative trauma disorders in shoe manufacturing: a clinical case report].

The article reports the case of a woman working in a shoe factory who had been using vibrating tools for 5 years. Because of paresthesia in her left hand, in 1989 she underwent various diagnostic trials that revealed an initial carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist and a homolateral epicondylitis. Measurement of the vibrations transmitted to the hand from the vibrating tool confirmed the probability of a high risk of exposure for the hand-arm system. Such adverse effects have been described by British authors as "cumulative trauma disorders" and were confirmed in this study. The importance of further studies aimed at estimating the type and degree of exposure to vibrations in shoe manufacturing workers is stressed.