Ann Occup Environ Med.  2017 ;29(1):8. 10.1186/s40557-017-0164-1.

Vibration upshot of operating mechanical sewing machine: an insight into common peroneal nerve conduction study

• Yadav PK
• Yadav RL
• Sharma D
• Shah DK
• Sapkota NK
• Thakur D
• Limbu N
• Islam MN

• KMID: 2454988
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0164-1

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Most of the people associated with tailoring occupation in Nepal are still using mechanical sewing machine as an alternative of new technology for tailoring. Common peroneal nerves of both right and left legs are exposed to strenuous and chronic stress exerted by vibration and paddling of mechanical sewing machine.
METHODS
The study included 30 healthy male tailors and 30 healthy male individuals. Anthropometric variables as well as cardio respiratory variables were determined for each subject. Standard Nerve Conduction Techniques using constant measured distances were applied to evaluate common peroneal nerve (motor) in both legs of each individual. Data were analyzed and compared between study and control groups using Man Whitney U test setting the significance level p"‰â‰¤"‰0.05.
RESULTS
Anthropometric and cardio respiratory variables were not significantly altered between the study and control groups. The Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) latency of common peroneal nerves of both right [(11.29"‰±"‰1.25 vs. 10.03"‰±"‰1.37), P"‰<"‰0.001] and left [(11.28"‰±"‰1.38 vs. 10.05"‰±"‰1.37), P"‰<"‰0.01] legs was found to be significantly prolonged in study group as compared to control group. The Amp-CMAP of common peroneal nerves of both right [(4.57"‰±"‰1.21 vs. 6.22"‰±"‰1.72), P"‰<"‰0.001] and left [(4.31"‰±"‰1.55 vs. 6.25"‰±"‰1.70), P"‰<"‰0.001] legs was found significantly reduced in study group as compared to control group. Similarly, the motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of common peroneal nerves of both right [(43.72"‰±"‰3.25 vs. 47.49"‰±"‰4.17), P"‰<"‰0.001] and left [(42.51"‰±"‰3.82 vs. 46.76"‰±"‰4.51), P"‰<"‰0.001] legs was also found to be significantly reduced in study group in comparison to control group.
CONCLUSION
Operating mechanical sewing machine by paddling chronically and arduously could have attributed to abnormal nerve conduction study parameters due to vibration effect of the machine on right and left common peroneal nerves. The results of present study follow the trend towards presymptomatic or asymptomatic neuropathy similar to subclinical neuropathy.

Keyword

Mechanical sewing machine; Peroneal nerve; Vibration; Latency; Amplitude; Neuropathy

MeSH Terms

Action Potentials
Humans
Leg
Male
Nepal
Neural Conduction
Occupations
Peroneal Nerve*
Vibration*