Sprains, Strains, and Tears
Sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 4 out of 10 nonfatal injuries
and illnesses involving days away from work in 2001 [BLS 2003e]. Sprains,
strains, and tears constituted the leading injury and illness category
for every major private industry division. Slightly more than a fourth
of these cases (27.3%) resulted from overexposure to lifting, and
45.1% of the cases were back sprains, strains, or tears [BLS 2003e].
Sprain, strain, and tear cases include avulsion, hemarthrosis, rupture,
strain, sprain, or tear of joint capsule, ligament, muscle, or tendon.
Sprain, strain, and tear cases are of moderate severity (Figure 2–143).
In 2001, they involved a median of 6 days away from work—the
same median reported for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses [BLS
2003a].
BLS reported 669,889 sprain, strain, and tear cases involving days
away from work in 2001 (Figure 2–138). Rates declined 44.9% during
1992–2001, from 133.7 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to
73.7 in 2001 (Figure 2–139). Most cases involved workers who were
aged 25–54 (77.8%) (Figure 2–140), male (64.1%) (Figure
2–141), and white, non-Hispanic (69.9%) (Figure 2–142).
Two occupational groups accounted for more than 57.6% of sprain, strain,
and tear cases: operators, fabricators, and laborers (38.8%) and service
workers (18.8%) (Figure 2–144). Rates exceeding the private-sector
rate were reported for transportation and public utilities (147 per
10,000 full-time workers), construction (116.8), agriculture, forestry,
and fishing (91.6), and wholesale trade (81.2) (Figure 2–145).
Two industry sectors (transportation and public utilities and construction)
had consistently higher rates than other sectors during this 10-year
period. These sectors experienced rate reductions of 41.5% and 30.4%,
respectively (Figure 2–146).
Magnitude and Trend
How did the number of sprain, strain, and tear cases change during
1992–2001?
