Vibration Disease: Exposure Level and Duration-Dependent Characteristics and Features of the Clinical Picture Following Local and Combined Local and Whole Body Vibration

Introduction: Vibration disease is induced by a long-term occupational exposure to vibration above the maximum permissible level and is manifested by damage to the peripheral vascular and nervous systems and disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Objective: To study the exposure level and duration dependency and features of the clinical picture of vibration disease in workers exposed to local and combined local and whole body vibration.

Materials and methods: The study included 136 male workers. Cohort I consisted of 60 patients (mean age: 49.5 ± 7.4 years) with vibration disease related to the local vibration exposure; cohort II included 76 patients (mean age: 55.7 ± 4.8 years) with vibration disease induced by the combined exposure to hand-arm and whole body vibration.

Results: The examined subjects worked in harmful working conditions of classes 3.1–3.4. Measured vibration exceeded maximum permissible values at most workplaces. Levels of local vibration did not differ significantly between the cohorts and amounted to 115.0 and 118.0 dB; the level of whole body vibration in cohort II was 116.0 dB. Shorter work experience and younger age at the time of diagnosing the occupational disease were registered in people exposed to local vibration only compared to those with a combined exposure. The angiodystonic syndrome was twice as frequent in cohort I, while cohort II had a larger proportion of patients with concomitant diseases (low back pain, periarthrosis, etc.).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate the necessity to reduce occupational exposures to vibration and take appropriate therapeutic and preventive measures in order to maintain health and work ability of employees.

1. Hong L, Fast W. Inhibition of human dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1 by S-nitroso-L-homocysteine and hydrogen peroxide. Analysis, quantification, and implications for hyperhomocysteinemia. J Biol Chem. 2007;282(48):34684–34692. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M707231200

2. Lakhman OL, Kolesov VG, Pankov VA, Rukavishnikov VS, Shayakhmetov SF, Dyakovich MP. [Vibration Disease from Local Vibration in Miners of Siberia and the Russian North.] Irkutsk: Scientific Center for Reconstructive Surgery, Siberian Branch RAMS Publ.; 2008. (In Russ.)

3. Babanov SA, Vorobyeva EV. [Features of the diagnosis and course of vibration disease in the conditions of modern production.] Trudnyy Patsient. 2010;8(5):28–30. (In Russ.)

4. Lagutina GN, Rudakova IE, Matjukhin VV, Shardakova EF. Occupational neuroorthopedical pathology at influence of vibration and physical loading. Byulleten’ Vostochno-Sibirskogo Nauchnogo Tsentra Sibirskogo Otdeleniya Rossiyskoy Akademii Meditsinskikh Nauk. 2006;(3(49)):87–89. (In Russ.)

5. Kuleshova MV, Pankov VA, Dyakovich MP, et al. The vibration disease in workers of the aircraft enterprise: factors of the formation, clinical manifestations, social-psychological features (dynamic following-up). Gigiena i Sanitariya. 2018;97(10):915–920. (In Russ.) doi: 10.18821/0016-9900-2018-97-10-915-920

6. Pankov VA, Rukavishnikov VS, Diakovich MP, Kuleshova MV. Analysis of changes in the functional systems of the organism of workers depending on the exposure dose of local vibration. Vestnik Angarskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta. 2017;(11):217–223. (In Russ.)

7. Khrupachev AG, Khadartsev AA, Sedova OA, Kashintseva LV. [Quantitative assessment of adverse health effects of industrial noise and vibration.] Natsional’nye Interesy: Prioritety i Bezopasnost’. 2013;9(28(217)):44–52. (In Russ.)

8. Denisov EI, Ovakimov VG. [Hygienic assessment of industrial noise and vibrations by exposure and dose.] Gigiena Truda i Professional’nye Zabolevaniya. 1985;(2):19–22. (In Russ.)

9. Kislenko AK, Veretennikov PD, Arkhilayev MA. Influence of vibro-acoustic factors of production process on an employee’s organism. Vestnik Altayskogo Gosudarstvennogo Agrarnogo Universiteta. 2007;(7(33)):54–58. (In Russ.)

10. Chebotarev AG. Working environment and occupational morbidity of mine personnel. Gornaya Promyshlennost’. 2018;(1(137)):92–95. (In Russ.) doi: 10.30686/1609-9192-2018-1-137-92-95

11. Lyubchenko PN, Gorenkov RV, Kazanchyan PO, et al. [Vascular disorders and their clinical manifestations under the influence of physical factors.] Al’manakh Klinicheskoy Meditsiny. 1998;(1):163–171. (In Russ.)

12. Kartapoltseva NV. Common regularities in disorders of central and peripheral nervous system at the influence of physical factors (local vibration and noise) on employees’ organisms. Byulleten’ Vostochno-Sibirskogo Nauchnogo Tsentra Sibirskogo Otdeleniya Rossiyskoy Akademii Meditsinskikh Nauk. 2012;(2-1(84)):40–44. (In Russ.)

13. Yurjev YuYu, Tipisova EV. Age aspects of endocrine status in men permanent and newly arrived residents of city of Arkhangelsk. Ekologiya Cheloveka [Human Ecology]. 2009;(7):15–19. (In Russ.)

14. Drapkina OM, Mandzhieva BA. A vessel age. Mechanisms of vessel wall ageing. Methods of assessment. Kardiovaskulyarnaya Terapiya i Profilaktika. 2014;13(5):72–79. (In Russ.) doi: 10.15829/1728-8800-2014-5-74-82

15. Shpagina LN, Zakharenkov VV. Occupational pathology in workers of industrial enterprises. Acta Biomedica Scientifica. 2010;(4(74)):158–160. (In Russ.)

16. Yamshchikova AV, Fleishman AN, Gidayatova MO. Co-morbid conditions in the vibration disease patients. Gigiena i Sanitariya. 2019;98(7):718–722. (In Russ.) doi: 10.18821/0016-9900-2019-98-7-718-722

17. Azovskova TA, Vakurova NV, Lavrent’eva NE. [On modern aspects of diagnosis and classification of the vibration disease.] Russkiy Meditsinskiy Zhurnal. 2014;22(16):1206–1209. (In Russ.)

18. Tekavec E, Löfqvist L, Larsson A, et al. Adverse health manifestations in the hands of vibration exposed carpenters – a cross sectional study. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2021;16(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12995-021-00305-3

19. Ali K, Sharma G, Raza N, Mufti A. Potential risk of developing peripheral neuropathy in heavy motor driving: A cross-sectional study. J Clin Diagnostic Res. 2020;14(11):CC15– CC20. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2020/46386.14276

20. Qamruddin AA, Husain NRN, Sidec MY, Hanafi MH, Ripin ZM, Ali N. Prevalence of hand-arm vibration syndrome among tyre shop workers in Kelantan, Malaysia. J Occup Health. 2019;61(6):498–507. doi: 10.1002/1348-9585.12078

21. Yamshchikova AV, Fleishman AN, Shumeiko NI, Gidayatova MO. The valuation of microcirculatory and metabolic disorders in the patients with vibration disease. Sibirskiy Meditsinskiy Zhurnal (Irkutsk). 2017;149(2):27–30. (In Russ.)

22. Babanov SA, Tatarovskaya NA. Pneumatic hammer disease in the practice of a therapist and a neurologist. Vrach. 2013;(9):9–15. (In Russ.)

23. Kotirinich IA. Clinical features of vibration-induced pathologies after exposure to whole-body vibration and static-dynamic overloads in driving self-propelled technic. Byulleten’ Vostochno-Sibirskogo Nauchnogo Tsentra Sibirskogo Otdeleniya Rossiyskoy Akademii Meditsinskikh Nauk. 2006;(3(49)):96–98. (In Russ.)