Injuries to the Extremities: Common Biomechanical Foot Injuries.
NIOSH 1979 Jun:72-77
The nature and frequency of foot problems were examined based on a retrospective study of 137 patients referred to a podiatrist by a physician over a 3 month period. Foot deformities and pressure hyperkeratosis cases constituted 35 percent of all patients. Deformities were either general orthopedic or digital, involving biomechanical foot problems. Infection and related conditions accounted for 23 percent of all the patients' problems. Most of the patients had underlying biomechanical deformities or imbalances. Rheumatological and related disorders comprised approximately 17 percent of the cases. Trauma, nail conditions, and other problems accounted for 14, 9, and 2 percent, respectively. Common and preventable occupational foot injuries that arise from biomechanical stress are listed. The author concludes that host, agent, and environmental factors could result in a callous which may progress to infection of the skin and bone and ultimately to amputation of a limb. Preventive measures for limiting disability resulting from biomechanical foot injuries are recommended.
NIOSH-Contract; Contract-210-78-0053; Industrial-hazards; Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Skin-disorders; Foot-disorders;
Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Disease and Injury;
Occupational Safety and Health Symposia 1978, Division of Technical Services, NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio