Upper limb disorders

Disorders of the upper limb cause significant morbidity and incur substantial costs. These conditions are amongst the most common reasons for attendance to occupational physicians, and they are also commonly encountered in the practice of a wide array of medical specialities (rheumatology, orthopaedic surgery, rehabilitation and neurology). Despite this collective experience, standardized methods for labelling these conditions and algorithms for their clinical evaluation and treatment are only beginning to be developed. The purpose of this review is to outline a classification system for upper limb disorders, to address the features of the clinical history and examination which are of most benefit in reaching a diagnosis, and to briefly outline approaches to investigation and treatment.