MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER

Musculoskeletal Disorder in Adults



Musculoskeletal Disorder in Adults

Are kidney patients who received a partial nephrectomy at a lower risk of impaired renal function and cardiac related death compared to those who received a radical nephrectomy? When a patient is diagnosed with kidney damage, a surgical nephrectomy is often performed. Kidney damage may be caused by blocked blood vessels, kidney stones, masses, infection, and/or kidney cancer. With this procedure the kidney damage may be treated and also prevent further damage. A partial nephrectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a portion of the kidney. Partial nephrectomies are normally done laparoscopically with hand assistance or with robot assistance. A radical nephrectomy involves removing the kidney and the adrenal glands. A radical nephrectomy may be done laparoscopically or by open abdominal surgery.

My patient was diagnosed with damage of the left kidney. Blood tests were performed and the patient was found to have a toxic WBC granulation. This toxic granulation led infection, inflammation and sepsis. An abdominal and pelvic CT scan found a 7.8 x 5.6 x 6.2 cm, solid, enhancing left lower pole renal mass and parasitic vessels in the infected area. A hand assisted partial laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed. They removed the lower portion of her left kidney. The kidney was to be tested for malignancy. The concern with my patient is that she has a past medical history of hypertension, anemia, and deep vein thrombosis.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a group of painful disorders of muscles, tendons, and nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, and tension neck syndrome are examples. Work activities which are frequent and repetitive, or activities with awkward postures cause these disorders which may be painful during work or at rest. Almost all work requires the use of the arms and hands (Bragge, 2006). Therefore, most WMSD affect the hands, wrists, elbows, neck, and shoulders. Work using the legs can lead to WMSD of the legs, hips, ankles, and feet. Some back problems also result from repetitive activities.

Are there other names for WMSDs?

WMSDs are very difficult to define within traditional disease classifications. These disorders have received many names, such as:

Repetitive motion injuries

Repetitive strain injuries

Cumulative trauma disorders

Occupational cervicobrachial disorders

Overuse syndrome

Regional musculoskeletal disorders

Soft tissue disorders

Most of the names do not accurately describe the disorders. For example, the term "repetitive strain injuries" suggests that repetition causes these disorders, but awkward postures also contribute. These terms are used synonymously, and in the absence of agreement, WMSD is used in this document.

How common are WMSDs?

WMSDs are recognized as leading causes of significant human suffering, loss of productivity, and economic burdens on society. However, we do not have reliable estimates of the number of WMSDs in Canada. The data available are limited and does not represent the magnitude of the problem because there is a great deal of under-reporting of these types of injuries. For example, over 20,000 Ontario workers received compensation in 1987 for new cases of WMSDs, accounting for about 600,000 days of lost ...