Health and Safety Executive

Table THORM03

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders: estimated number of cases reported by rheumatologists to MOSS and by occupational physicians to OPRA, by country(a) and diagnostic category, 2006-2008

Country Diagnostic category Rheumatologists and occupational physicians(p) Rheumatologists (MOSS)(p) Occupational physicians (OPRA)(b)(p)
Annual average estimated cases(c) 2006-2008 % of GB total Annual average estimated cases(c) 2006-2008 % of GB total Annual average estimated cases(c) 2006-2008 % of GB total
England Upper limb disorders* 2307 87 1133 92 1174 83
Raynauds/HAVS/VWF 323 82 81 91 242 80
Other hand/wrist/arm 1252 88 690 92 561 84
Elbow 400 90 257 91 143 88
Shoulder 379 86 142 95 237 81
Spine/back disorders* 1040 84 288 94 753 81
Neck/thoracic spine 338 86 153 97 184 79
Lumbar spine/trunk 716 83 135 92 581 81
Lower limb disorders* 343 94 135 99 208 91
Hip/knee/leg 247 93 85 98 162 91
Ankle/foot 95 96 50 100 46 92
Others 149 82 33 81 115 83
Total diagnoses** 3899 87 1627 93 2272 83
Total individuals 3760 87 1559 93 2202 83
Wales Upper limb disorders* 156 6 45 4 111 8
Raynauds/HAVS/VWF 29 7 4 4 25 8
Other hand/wrist/arm 78 6 33 4 46 7
Elbow 24 5 8 3 16 10
Shoulder 33 8 - - 33 11
Spine/back disorders* 96 8 8 3 88 9
Neck/thoracic spine 33 8 - - 32 14
Lumbar spine/trunk 64 7 8 5 56 8
Lower limb disorders* - - - - - -
Hip/knee/leg - - - - - -
Ankle/foot - - - - - -
Others 8 5 4 10 4 3
Total diagnoses** 269 6 57 3 212 8
Total individuals (d) 257 6 57 3 200 8
Scotland Upper limb disorders* 176 7 50 4 126 9
Raynauds/HAVS/VWF 41 10 4 5 37 12
Other hand/wrist/arm 94 7 29 4 65 10
Elbow 22 5 18 6 4 2
Shoulder 28 6 8 5 21 7
Spine/back disorders* 100 8 9 3 91 10
Neck/thoracic spine 22 6 5 3 17 7
Lumbar spine/trunk 82 10 4 3 78 11
Lower limb disorders* 21 6 1 1 20 9
Hip/knee/leg 17 7 1 2 16 9
Ankle/foot 4 4 - - 4 8
Others 24 13 4 10 20 14
Total diagnoses** 335 7 74 4 261 10
Total individuals 317 7 60 4 257 10

Notes:

  • (a) A small proportion of cases do not have their country recorded: percentages are calculated from those cases for whom country is recorded. Figures are shown in light type if they are based on fewer than 10 actual cases
  • (b) Comparisons based on OPRA reports are likely to be misleading because workers in some occupations are much more likely to have access to occupational physicians than those in others.
  • (c) Some physicians report on a sample basis, for one month in each year. Estimated totals for these are calculated by multiplying the actual number of cases reported by 12.
  • *For each group of disorders, totals for main disease categories may be less than the sum of the disease subcategories. This is because an individual may have more than one (for example) upper limb disorder (diagnosis) which would only be counted once in the 'upper limb disorders' total.
  • ** The total cases may be less than the sum of the major disease categories. This is because an individual may have more than one major category disorder (e.g. upper limb and spine/back) but this would only count once in the 'total cases'.
  • "-" means zero or number rounds to zero.
  • (p) Provisional.

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Updated 10.09.09