The German Spine Study (DWS)

Together with a number of other scientific institutions, the institute under its former name BGIA participated in an epidemiological study launched by the DGUV into the relationships between occupational (spinal) loading and the incidence of injury to the intervertebral discs, in order to permit realistic assessment of occupational spinal loading in the context of investigations into suspected cases of formally recognized occupational disease (BK No. 2108).

The study was completed in March 2007 with submission of the first version of the final report to the initiator of the study. In the same month, the results were presented for the first time to an interested expert audience at the 47^th annual conference of the DGAUM (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmedizin und Umweltmedizin) in Mainz. The results of the study have been published comprehensively in the Zentralblatt für Arbeitsmedizin, Arbeitsschutz und Ergonomie:

Zentralblatt für Arbeitsmedizin, Arbeitsschutz und Ergonomie
The German Spine Study (Die Deutsche Wirbelsäulenstudie), Part 1: 9 (2007) Vol. 57
(in German, summaries in English)

• Kranig, A.:
  Basics and targets of the German Spine Study, p. 242
• Linhardt, O.; Bolm-Audorff, U.; Bergmann, A.; Ditchen, D.; Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Haerting, J.; Hofmann, F.; Jäger, M.; Luttmann, A.; Michaelis, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Seidler, A.; Grifka, J.:
  Study design of the German Spine Study, pp. 243-250
• Ellegast, R.; Ditchen, D.; Bergmann, A.; Bolm-Audorff, U.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Haerting, J.; Hofmann, F.; Jäger, M.; Linhardt, O.; Luttmann, A.;. Michaelis, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Seidler, A.:
  Survey on work-related spinal exposures by technical experts of the German accident insurance institutions within the German Spine Study, pp. 251-263
• Jäger, M.; Geiß, O.; Bergmann, A.; Bolm-Audorff, U.; Ditchen, D., Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Haerting, J.; Hofmann, F.; Linhardt, O.; Michaelis, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Seidler, A.; Luttmann, A.:
  Biomechanical analyses on lumbar load within the German Spine Study, pp. 264-276
• Michaelis, M.; Hofmann, F.; Bolm-Audorff, U.; Bergmann, A.; Ditchen, D.; Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Haerting, J.; Jäger, M.; Linhardt, O.; Luttmann, A.; Nübling, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Seidler, A.:
  Economic sectors and occupations at risk for the development of lumbar spine diseases – Results of the German Spine Study, pp. 277-286

Zentralblatt für Arbeitsmedizin, Arbeitsschutz und Ergonomie
The German Spine Study (Die Deutsche Wirbelsäulenstudie), Part 2: 10 (2007) Vol. 57
(in German, summaries in English)

• Seidler, A.; Bergmann, A.; Ditchen, D.;, Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Haerting, J.; Hofmann, F.; Jäger, M.; Linhardt, O.; Luttmann, A.; Michaelis, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Bolm-Audorff, U.:
  

  Relationship between the cumulative spinal load due to materials handling and lumbar disc herniation – Results of the German Spine Study, pp. 290-303

• Bolm-Audorff, U.; Bergmann, A.; Ditchen, D.; Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Haerting, J.; Hofmann, F.; Jäger, M.; Linhardt, O.; Luttmann, A.; Michaelis, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Seidler, A.:
  

  Relationship between manual materials handling and lumbar chondrosis – Results of the German Spine Study, pp. 304-316

• Bergmann, A.; Seidler, A.; Schumann, B.; Fischer, S.; Bolm-Audorff, U.; Ditchen, D.; Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Hinz, B.; Hofmann, F.; Jäger, M.; Linhardt, O.; Luttmann, A.; Michaelis, M.; Petereit-Haack, G.; Haerting, J.:
  

  Association between occupational exposure to whole-body vibration and disc-related diseases of the lumbar spine – Evaluations within the German Spine Study, pp. 317-327

• Petereit-Haack, G.; Bolm-Audorff, U.; Ditchen, D.; Ellegast, R.; Elsner, G.; Grifka, J.; Haerting, J.; Hofmann, F.; Jäger, M.; Linhardt, O.; Luttmann, A.; Michaelis, M.; Schumann, B.; Seidler, A.:
  Association between occupational psychosocial strain and disc diseases of the lumbar spine – Results of the German Spine Study, pp. 328-336