Work-related hand injuries in Ontario: an historical perspective.

Worker's compensation legislation was enacted in Ontario almost 90 years ago. Workers injured on the job gave up their right to sue employers and received no-fault compensation from an independent, employer-funded body called the Workmen's Compensation Board. Three academic health sciences centers in Ontario that are recognized for their commitment to patient care, research, and education compose part of the Specialty Program network with the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Statistical data from the WSIB database for workers with hand injuries from 1996 to 2003 show an increase in fractures from fall injuries in the group of women older than 60 that may be related to osteoporosis, a common condition in this group.