ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A new principle for assessing vibrotactile sense in vibration-induced neuropathy.
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Publication date: 1987-08-01
Corresponding author
Department of Hand Surgery, Malmo General Hospital, Sweden.
Scand J Work Environ Health 1987;13(4):375-379
ABSTRACT
The vibrotactile perception threshold has been evaluated in 20 manual workers not exposed to occupational vibration and in 27 workers using hand-held vibrating tools. Threshold values were evaluated with a Bekesy type of vibrometer at frequencies ranging from 8 to 500 Hz. The earliest sign of vibration lesion was a reduction of sensation at frequencies of 125 to 250 Hz, indicating dysfunction in receptors of the fast adapting type II (stage 1 curve), followed in more severe cases by a prominent loss of sensation at all frequencies higher than 65 Hz (stage 2 curve). The stage 3 curve indicated the most severe loss of sensation in which the function of slowly adapting type I receptors, as well as fast adapting type I receptors, was deteriorated; consequently the vibrotactile thresholds at low-, median-, and high-frequency ranges were impaired. The vibrotactile changes corresponded well to numbness and the presence of vibration-induced white finger.