[Disease of the locomotor system in a shoe factory]

In 24,964 employees of a shoe factory a retrospective analysis of the work incapacity on account of diseases of the locomotor system was made. On account of these diseases in the course of the calendar year 11.7% of the employees were unable to work and these diseases accounted for 19.5% of the sickness days. The largest number of work incapacities was in March and November. The mean period of work incapacity was 21.4 days. The shortest work incapacity was recorded in patients suffering from gout (13.2 days) and the longest one in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (125.4 days). The most frequent cause of work incapacity was back pain (62.2%), extraarticular rheumatism (17.4%) and osteoarthritis of the joints of the extremities (7.2%). Two hundred-sixty-four patients had in-patient treatment (9%). The greatest proportion of patients were hospitalized on account of back pain (54.9%). The mean period of hospitalization was 17.3 days. Between different factory medical officers relatively great differences in the number and length of granted work incapacity were found. The investigation revealed the importance of diseases of the locomotor system in the investigated shoe factory and the need to investigate the influence of the working environment and occupation on clinical manifestations of affections of the locomotor system.