Musculoskeletal Health of the Upper Extremity in Emerging Health Professionals

NCT ID: NCT02587897

Last Updated: 2025-01-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

176 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-07-31

Study Completion Date

2023-06-07

Brief Summary

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most expensive upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorder, impacting 10 million people annually and costing employers up to $113,695 per incident. There is currently no established method to detect this disorder prior to the onset of symptoms and nerve damage. Preliminary research suggests that sonography-a relatively inexpensive, widely available, increasingly portable technology-can provide a non-invasive and pain-free method of early detection that could reduce incidence, improve targeted interventions and ultimately reduce costs. The primary aims of this study are to establish predictive validity of a novel method for early detection using sonographic imaging and to identify task components of intensive functional hand activity associated with morphologic changes.

Detailed Description

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This longitudinal study will follow dental hygiene students-a high-risk population with minimal retrospective and controlled prospective task exposure-for two years and compare them to a non-exposed cohort of occupational therapy students to investigate the primary aims. This research is directed at the National Occupational Research Agenda's (NORA) Healthcare and Social Assistance sector with a focus on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Exposure Assessment and Musculoskeletal Disorders cross-sectors. Intermediate outcomes of this research will establish sonographic imaging as an early detection tool for workplace-screening and inform methods for combining measures of nerve morphology, neurophysiology, and subjective symptoms for predicting the development of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome. This work will also inform the development of targeted preventive interventions for task components of intensive hand activities that are related to changes in tissue morphology. Identifying morphologic changes in early-stages of pathology and the specific task components linked to these changes are the first steps toward early detection and prevention of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome.

Conditions

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Dental Hygiene Students

Students enrolled in the 2-year dental hygiene academic coursework programs at the University of Southern California and Loma Linda University who are exposed to high-intensity work-related hand activities as part of their training program.

Academic Coursework

Intervention Type OTHER

Didactic training provided by the university through coursework and laboratory training that meets requirements of the accreditation standards provided by the professional society associated with each professional degree granting program.

Work-Related Hand Activities

Intervention Type OTHER

Exposure to intensive training in the use of dental scaling tools as part of laboratory courses, as well as fieldwork and residency training during the academic degree program.

Occupational Therapy Students

Students enrolled in the 2-year occupational therapy academic coursework program at the University of Southern California.

Academic Coursework

Intervention Type OTHER

Didactic training provided by the university through coursework and laboratory training that meets requirements of the accreditation standards provided by the professional society associated with each professional degree granting program.

Interventions

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Academic Coursework

Didactic training provided by the university through coursework and laboratory training that meets requirements of the accreditation standards provided by the professional society associated with each professional degree granting program.

Intervention Type OTHER

Work-Related Hand Activities

Exposure to intensive training in the use of dental scaling tools as part of laboratory courses, as well as fieldwork and residency training during the academic degree program.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Enrollment in one of the academic programs (i.e., register and pay for classes)

Exclusion Criteria

* \<18 years of age
* Prior carpal tunnel release surgery
* Prior diagnosis of median nerve pathology or other poly-neuropathy that includes the median nerve
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH/CDC)

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

Loma Linda University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Center for Dental Hygiene Research and Practice

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Southern California

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Shawn Roll

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Shawn C Roll, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Southern California

Locations

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Loma Linda Univeristy Dental Hygiene Program

Loma Linda, California, United States

Site Status

USC Musculsokeletal Sonography & Occupational Performance Laboratory

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status

USC Dental Hygiene

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Yao B, Evans KD, Roll SC. Assessing the Potential for Error in Investigating Intraneural Vascularity: A Need for a Standardized Imaging Protocol. J Diagn Med Sonogr. 2023 Nov;39(6):549-559. doi: 10.1177/87564793231193396.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38074490 (View on PubMed)

Fang Y, Kapellusch JM, Baker NA, Roll SC. CHARACTERIZING PHYSICAL STRAIN IN NON-ROUTINIZED CLINICAL WORK THROUGH OBSERVATION: AN EXAMPLE OF ORAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. Proc Int Symp Hum Factors Ergon Healthc. 2024 Sep;13(1):134-139. doi: 10.1177/2327857924131015.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39430719 (View on PubMed)

Loomis KJ, Roll SC. External wrist ratio is not a proxy for internal carpal tunnel shape: Implications for evaluating carpal tunnel syndrome risk. Clin Anat. 2024 Nov;37(8):869-877. doi: 10.1002/ca.24132. Epub 2024 Jan 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38173294 (View on PubMed)

Grutzmacher I, Schicht R, Schlaeger R, Sill V. [Hemodynamics of pulmonary circulation in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and pulmonary hypertension as dependent on the theophylline concentration of the serum]. Prax Klin Pneumol. 1984 Jan;38(1):19-25. No abstract available. German.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6709589 (View on PubMed)

Sloan H. J. Maxwell Chamberlain, 1906-1968. Ann Thorac Surg. 1981 Aug;32(2):109-10. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)61016-8. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7020616 (View on PubMed)

Fotter R, Hollwarth M. [Water syphon test and gastro-oesophageal reflux during childhood (correlation with the clinical findings and oesophageal manometry) ]. Rofo. 1981 Jul;135(1):53-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1056830. German.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6214479 (View on PubMed)

A WHO Meeting. Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma by immunization. A WHO meeting. Bull World Health Organ. 1983;61(5):731-44.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6317213 (View on PubMed)

Pozzi F, Sousa CO, Plummer HA, Andrade B, Awokuse D, Kono N, Mack WJ, Roll SC, Michener LA. Development of shoulder pain with job-related repetitive load: mechanisms of tendon pathology and anxiety. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Feb;31(2):225-234. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2021.09.007. Epub 2021 Oct 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34656782 (View on PubMed)

Yao B, Roll SC. An ultrasound study of the mobility of the median nerve during composite finger movement in the healthy young wrist. Muscle Nerve. 2022 Jan;65(1):82-88. doi: 10.1002/mus.27437. Epub 2021 Oct 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34648193 (View on PubMed)

Yao B, Takata SC, Mack WJ, Roll SC. Modeling extracurricular activity participation with physical and mental health in college students over time. J Am Coll Health. 2023 May-Jun;71(4):1232-1240. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1926263. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34242536 (View on PubMed)

Roll SC, Hardison ME, Forrest JL, Colclazier NL, Sumi JY, Baker NA. A standardized protocol for the comprehensive assessment of dental hygiene work. Work. 2021;69(3):1041-1052. doi: 10.3233/WOR-213534.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34219697 (View on PubMed)

Fang Y, Tung KD, Beleno-Sanchez J, Forrest JL, Roll SC. Characterization of Tasks and Time Efficiency of Dental Hygiene Students During Clinical Training. J Dent Hyg. 2020 Oct;94(5):30-37.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33008947 (View on PubMed)

Roll SC, Takata SC, Yao B, Kysh L, Mack WJ. Sonographic reference values for median nerve cross-sectional area: A meta-analysis of data from healthy individuals. J Diagn Med Sonogr. 2023 Sep;39(5):492-506. doi: 10.1177/87564793231176009. Epub 2023 Jun 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37654772 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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1R01OH010665-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

HS-15-00004

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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