Contribution of the radiological assessment in the compensation of occupational shoulder tendinopathy

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) currently represent the first occupational health problem. Tendinopathy of the shoulder is the most common occupational diseas. It is responsible for variable aftereffects arriving until the articular steepness.

To determine the influence of clinical and radiological investigations in setting the rate of permanent partial disability related to occupational shoulder tendinopathies.

This is a retrospective study of 63 patients followed for tendinopathy of the shoulder. The files were collected from the regional commission of attribution of the rates of permanent partial incapacity of the victims of the occupational accidents and diseases. For each patient we collected the social and occupational data, the result of the clinical examination and the radiological investigations as well as the attributed PPD rate (partial permanent disability). The data analysis allowed to determine the variation of the PPD according to the articular mobility and according to the severity of the hurts revealed by the radiological investigations.

The average age of our patients was of 45 years with a feminine predominance (sex ratio 6.87). The patients were mainly workers of confections (51%). The imaging objectified a tendinopathy without tear in 23 cases (36,5 We showed that the rate of PPD increased in a proportional way according to the severity of the limitation of the mobility expressed in degrees lost of abduction or of extension as well as according to the gravity of the hurts revealed by the radiological investigations.

we were able to attribute for every type of radiological lesion and according to the limitation of the mobility an interval of rather specific PPD, this allows directing the experts in the compensation of occupational shoulder tendinopathy victims.