[Musculoskeletal disorders caused by repetitive trauma of the upper limbs: a paradigm of the development of occupational diseases and industrial medicine].

The work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative disease and disorders that result in pain and functional impairment. All available definitions for WMSDS are non consistent and require in each individual case and in each group study careful identification of symptoms, signs and findings. WMSDs, as a mutifactorial work related disease, are associated to physical and psychosocial factors at work and other individual, sociocultural factors. They are therefore good paradigm for the changing occupational risks and illness and for the new methods that the occupational medicine and the preventive disciplines have to set up. The research and standardization needs appear to be more evident for framing pathogenesis, biological response and pathology of WMSDs and mainly for risk factors assessment, since suitable analytical methods are still not available. The agreement of valid standardised methods (guide lines) for the evaluation of working conditions and assessment of risk factors is required, taking due regard to the multidisciplinary approach both in biological and medical areas and in poly technical ones. Finally attention would be paid to the strategy for prevention, implementing ergonomic programmes, health surveillance, adequate training to work, aimed to primary prevention of WMSDs.