抄録
Dentists are usually obliged to take an unstable posture during dental diagnosis and treatment. And the value of the relative metabolic rate is at a low level of about 1.0, but it has been reported that the fatigue of hands, arms, shoulders, etc. is severe because of the successive statical muscle strains during work. The authors experienced one case of a dentist with cervicobrachial syndrome with tendo-vaginitis of both thumbs and of the right forefinger and articurationitis of both thumbs. This cace is a married female dentist of 26 years old. She was employed at a dental clinic in April, 1975 and began dental work. From February to April, 1976, 3 dentists among 8 of the clinic retired, and then the amount of the daily work much increased. After that she began to feel severe dullness and eye fatigue. Moreover, in May of the year, 2 dentists tool holidays due to their health disorder, and after that she began to complain of the pain at the right shoulder, left thumb and both hands, then visited a medical clinic. In July and August, she could not continue the work because she felt severe stiffness at the occipital part of the head, neck and shoulders, and pain and numbness of fingers and hands, and of fore and upper arms. The results of medical examinations at the clinic were as follows. Results of the examinations on blood, urine and clinical biochemistry were not abnormal, but swelling, redness and heating were at articulatio interpharyngea of the right thumb. On roentgenological examination, hiatuses of both thumbs were slightly narrowed, and punched-out shadows and the straight neck were found. On electro-myographical examinations, high amplitude voltage was seen in the right hypothenar muscles, and sensory conduction velocity was somewhat lower. Thus it was confirmed that there were distal nervous disturbances. There was also a slight lowering of the strength of muscles of the right hand and arm. Reflexes of Eaton, Morley and Allen were disordered on the right side. These facts mentioned above show that this case is one of the cervicobrachial syndrome occasioned by the labor of dental work. If the labor conditions of the dentist is not good, more such cases will occur. So, much care is necessary. At the time of the planning of the labor conditions of a dental clinic, these considerations must be taken into account.
