Job-Related Knee Injuries Costing U.S. Economy Billions

St. Paul, Minnesota, Oct. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Every time you take a knee it takes a toll. You just might not know how much until it’s too late.

Safety and health agencies—including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)—have long recognized tasks that involve frequent stooping, kneeling, or squatting increase the risk of developing cumulative knee injuries such as bursitis, tendinitis, or osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

More recent review continues to confirm those findings, including a case-control study published in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, which found that men who worked for 11–30 years in building and construction had a 3.7 fold greater risk of developing knee OA. Additionally, a 2021 study from Arthritis Care and Research cites nine specific job titles associated with knee OA, including farmers, builders, metal workers and floor layers.

OA occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. The irreversible condition comes with an annual price tag of more than $27 billion in health care costs in the United States, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The foundation also reports 20 million Americans have lost about $71 million in wages from lost work directly related to OA.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency responsible for setting and enforcing workplace safety and health standards in the United States, does not have any specific requirement that would limit the amount of time an employee is required to work in an awkward posture, such as squatting or kneeling.

Guidance for prevention includes raising the work off the ground or using extension attachments on tools to bring work up to waist level. Personal factors, including diet and exercise also impact knee health—every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees.

OSHA does not have a personal…