[Knee pain and associated occupational factors: a systematic review]

In order to collect information on knee pain and associated occupational factors, a systematic review was conducted using the MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, and Free Medical Journals databases, from 1990 to 2006. Key words were: gonalgia, knee, knee pain, knee joint, knee dislocation, knee injuries, work, workplace, workload, employment, occupations, industry, occupational, workers, arthrosis, and osteoarthritis. Equivalent terms in Portuguese and Spanish were also used. From the initial 2,263 studies gathered, only 26 met the review's inclusion criteria. Knee pain prevalence in the previous 12 months ranged from 11.2% to 60.9%. The main associated factors were: female gender, older age, high body mass index, kneeling working position, and lifting at work.