Thompson AM, House R, Krajnak K, Eger T.
Occup Med (Lond). 2010 Oct;60(7):572-4. Epub 2010 Aug 3.
BACKGROUND: Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) refers to the neurological, vascular and musculoskeletal problems that may arise due to exposure to segmental vibration to the hands. An analogous syndrome may occur in the lower extremities of workers exposed to foot-transmitted vibration.
AIMS: This report describes the case of a worker with a history of foot-transmitted vibration exposure presenting with cold intolerance in the feet and blanching in the toes. Case report A 54-year-old miner presented with a chief complaint of blanching and pain in his toes. The worker had a history of foot-transmitted vibration exposure over his 18 year career as a miner, primarily from the operation of vehicle-mounted bolting machines. Cold provocation digital plethysmography showed cold-induced vasospastic disease in the feet, but not in the hands.
CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates a condition descriptively termed ‘vibration-white foot’: a disease analogous to HAVS arising after segmental vibration exposure to the feet. Further research is required to increase awareness of, and direct preventive efforts for, this potentially debilitating condition.