Rheumatism in Miners. Part II: X-ray Study

Abstract

Inafield survey ofrheumatic complaints LawrenceandAitken-Swan (1952) foundthatcoal miners suffered moredisability frompaininthe backsciatic distribution andinthekneesthanthe surrounding general population, andfromthe limited examination possible inthefield itappeared that these disabilities wereduetodisc degeneration, osteo-arthritis, andrheumatic disorders ofundetermined nature.Toinvestigate this morefully itwasdecided tocarry outadetailed clinical study anda radiological survey ofsmallbutcarefully selected groupsofcoalminers andother workers fromthepopulations covered mostcomprehensively bythefield survey: thatistosay,theunderground workers atBedford Colliery andtheemployees of theengineering yardand theadministrative offices atWalkden. Thestudywasconfined tomalesinthefifth decade. Thisagegroupwas chosenas most likely toshowtheeffects ofoccupation uponthe incidence andseverity ofdegenerative joint changes, since atthis agethese changes begin toberadiologically demonstrable ina proportion ofthe general population. Consideration ofthenumbers available between theagesof40and50showed that there were47office workers (clerks andadministrative staff), 89manualworkers(blacksmiths, machinists, carpenters, painters, and general labourers), and259miners. We decided tostudy all47office workers together withanequal number ofmanualworkers, thusmaking acomposite group of94non-miners whohadneverbeenunderground, andtocompare these with94underground workers. Allmanualand underground workersin the appropriate agegroupweretherefore numbered consecutively and thesamples forstudywere