This very small study found evidence that could one day be used as part of an objective evaluation of hand-arm vibration syndrome. Nerve damage of this sort is not reversible but could have many alternate causes. Loss of sensory nerves in the skin, to this degree, on its own, would usually lead to mild impairment.
Evidence from:
HW Liang et al. J Occ Env Med (2006) Vol.48 p 549 – 555
“Reduced Epidermal Nerve Density Among Hand-Transmitted Vibration-Exposed Workers”
Further detail: