ABSTRACT

The strain index (SI) is a method of evaluating jobs to determine if they expose workers to increased risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders of the distal upper extremity (DUE) (Moore and Garg, 1995). The DUE is defined as the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand. Musculoskeletal disorders of the DUE include specific diagnoses (e.g., epicondylitis, peritendinitis, tendon entrapment at the wrist or finger, and carpal tunnel syndrome) and less specific symptomatic conditions related to the muscle-tendon units of the DUE.