Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22038085›Full record

SynthesisInternational archives of occupational and environmental health2012

Longitudinal evidence for the association between work-related physical exposures and neck and/or shoulder complaints: a systematic review.

Julia Mayer, Thomas Kraus, Elke Ochsmann

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International archives of occupational and environmental health, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 82 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
82citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

82 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Work above shoulder level and shoulder complaints: a systematic review.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2020
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Acute effect of precise manual tasks on physiological tremor of both upper limbs in young and elderly people.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders: A prospective cohort study.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025
    Article
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  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

22 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Julia MayerMedical Faculty, Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Thomas Kraus
Elke Ochsmann

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost existing reviews focus on evidence for the association between neck and/or shoulder complaints and physical exposures at the workplace gathered from cross-sectional studies. In comparison, this review summarizes existing evidence from longitudinal studies only.

methodsA systematic literature research was conducted in Medline and EMBASE (1975-2009), and all studies were scanned by at least two researchers according to strict inclusion criteria. Levels of evidence were assigned according to the number of studies reporting similar findings, and according to the methodological quality of the included studies.

resultsAltogether 21 longitudinal studies (19 high-quality studies) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. In comparison with former reviews, we found strong evidence for an association between shoulder complaints and manual material handling (MMH) (range between Odds Ratio (OR) 1.4 and 4.9), vibration (range between OR 1.6 and OR 2.5), trunk flexion or rotation (range between OR 1.8 and OR 5.1), and working with hands above shoulder level (range between OR 1.1 and OR 1.8). Apart from that, the included studies confirmed existing knowledge on the association between physical exposures at the workplace and neck and/or shoulder complaints.

conclusionsThis analysis of longitudinal studies allowed for new evidence with regard to four cause-effect chains between physical exposures at work and the development of shoulder, neck and neck/shoulder complaints. As outcome variables varied greatly among the included studies, harmonization in studies on musculoskeletal research is desirable.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeck PainOccupational ExposureShoulder PainYoung Adult

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.