DOSE–RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION AND LUMBAR DISK DISEASE—A FIELD STUDY ON 388 DRIVERS OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES

Abstract In a longitudinal study, the dose–response relationships between long term occupational exposure to whole-body vibration and degenerative processes in the lumbar spine caused by the lumbar disks were examined. From 1990 to 1992, 388 vibration-exposed workers from different driving jobs were examined medically and by lumbar X-ray. For each individual, a history of all exposure conditions was recorded, and a cumulative vibration dose was calculated allowing comparisons between groups of low, middle, and high intensity of exposure. 310 subjects were selected for a follow-up four years later, of whom 90·6% (n=281) agreed to participate. In comparing the exposure groups, the results ind…