Earlier Return to Light Duty Is Associated With Successful Return to Full Duty of Workers' Compensation Patients Treated With Shoulder Arthroscopic Surgery

Overview

Journal Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil

Date 2022 Jun 24

PMID 35747650

Authors

Patrick A Massey

Gabriel Sampognaro

Phillip Fincher

Samantha Vance

Milan Mody

R Shane Barton

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate Workers' Compensation (WC) patients who underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery for workplace shoulder injuries and to determine whether there was an association between earlier return to light duty and earlier return to full duty.

Methods: After receiving institutional review board approval, we performed a retrospective chart review of all WC patients treated with shoulder arthroscopic surgery by 2 senior authors between 2011 and 2018. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 went back to light-duty work within the first 100 days after surgery, whereas group 2 performed light-duty work after 100 days or performed no light-duty work. The primary outcomes included the length of time from surgery to light-duty work and the length of time from surgery to return to the full-duty work level.

Results: A total of 59 patients met the inclusion criteria. There was a moderate correlation between the number of days at which the patients were released to light duty and the days they were able to be released to full duty ( = 0.35). In group 1 (light duty ≤ 100 days), 18 patients (75%) went back to full duty, whereas only 16 patients (46%) in group 2 were able to return to full-duty work ( = .025).

Conclusions: Earlier return to light duty is associated with earlier return to full duty after shoulder arthroscopic surgery in patients with a Workers' Compensation claim. Additionally, WC patients who returned to early light duty in the first 100 days postoperatively had a higher rate of return to full duty than did patients who did not return to early light duty.

Level Of Evidence: Level III, case-control study.

References

Ghori A, Chung K . A decision-analysis model to diagnose feigned hand weakness. J Hand Surg Am. 2007; 32(10):1638-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2007.09.010. View

Godges J, Anger M, Zimmerman G, Delitto A . Effects of education on return-to-work status for people with fear-avoidance beliefs and acute low back pain. Phys Ther. 2007; 88(2):231-9. DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20050121. View

Carmona L, Faucett J, Blanc P, Yelin E . Predictors of rate of return to work after surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. Arthritis Care Res. 1998; 11(4):298-305. DOI: 10.1002/art.1790110411. View

Bianchini K, Curtis K, Greve K . Compensation and malingering in traumatic brain injury: a dose-response relationship?. Clin Neuropsychol. 2006; 20(4):831-47. DOI: 10.1080/13854040600875203. View

Balk M, Hagberg W, Buterbaugh G, Imbriglia J . Outcome of surgery for lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow): effect of worker's compensation. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2005; 34(3):122-6. View

Henn 3rd R, Tashjian R, Kang L, Green A . Patients with workers' compensation claims have worse outcomes after rotator cuff repair. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008; 90(10):2105-13. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.F.00260. View

Bhatia S, Piasecki D, Nho S, Romeo A, Cole B, Nicholson G . Early return to work in workers' compensation patients after arthroscopic full-thickness rotator cuff repair. Arthroscopy. 2010; 26(8):1027-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2009.12.016. View

Iles R, Davidson M, Taylor N . Psychosocial predictors of failure to return to work in non-chronic non-specific low back pain: a systematic review. Occup Environ Med. 2008; 65(8):507-17. DOI: 10.1136/oem.2007.036046. View

Day C, Alexander M, Lal S, Horton H, Ahn C, Pauyo T . Effects of workers' compensation on the diagnosis and surgical treatment of patients with hand and wrist disorders. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010; 92(13):2294-9. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.I.00158. View

10.

Ayers D, Franklin P, Ring D . The role of emotional health in functional outcomes after orthopaedic surgery: extending the biopsychosocial model to orthopaedics: AOA critical issues. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2013; 95(21):e165. PMC: 3808180. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.L.00799. View

11.

Cho C, Seo H, Bae K, Lee K, Hwang I, Warner J . The impact of depression and anxiety on self-assessed pain, disability, and quality of life in patients scheduled for rotator cuff repair. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2013; 22(9):1160-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.jse.2013.02.006. View

12.

MacDermid J, Ramos J, Drosdowech D, Faber K, Patterson S . The impact of rotator cuff pathology on isometric and isokinetic strength, function, and quality of life. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2004; 13(6):593-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jse.2004.03.009. View

13.

Imai T, Gotoh M, Hagie K, Fukuda K, Ogino M, Madokoro K . Factors Affecting Return to Work in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair. Prog Rehabil Med. 2020; 4:20190006. PMC: 7365204. DOI: 10.2490/prm.20190006. View

14.

Essman J, Bell R, ASKEW M . Full-thickness rotator-cuff tear. An analysis of results. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1991; (265):170-7. View

15.

Nove-Josserand L, Liotard J, Godeneche A, Neyton L, Borel F, Rey B . Occupational outcome after surgery in patients with a rotator cuff tear due to a work-related injury or occupational disease. A series of 262 cases. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2011; 97(4):361-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.otsr.2011.01.012. View

16.

Lincoln A, Feuerstein M, Shaw W, Miller V . Impact of case manager training on worksite accommodations in workers' compensation claimants with upper extremity disorders. J Occup Environ Med. 2002; 44(3):237-45. DOI: 10.1097/00043764-200203000-00011. View

17.

Largacha M, Parsons 4th I, Campbell B, Titelman R, Smith K, Matsen 3rd F . Deficits in shoulder function and general health associated with sixteen common shoulder diagnoses: a study of 2674 patients. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2006; 15(1):30-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jse.2005.04.006. View

18.

Aagaard K, Randeblad P, Abu-Zidan F, Lunsjo K . Return to work after early repair of acute traumatic rotator cuff tears. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2019; 46(4):817-823. DOI: 10.1007/s00068-019-01074-9. View

19.

Cancelliere C, Donovan J, Stochkendahl M, Biscardi M, Ammendolia C, Myburgh C . Factors affecting return to work after injury or illness: best evidence synthesis of systematic reviews. Chiropr Man Therap. 2016; 24(1):32. PMC: 5015229. DOI: 10.1186/s12998-016-0113-z. View

20.

Shields E, Thirukumaran C, Noyes K, Voloshin I . A Review of a Workers' Compensation Database 2003 to 2013: Patient Factors Influencing Return to Work and Cumulative Financial Claims After Rotator Cuff Repair in Geriatric Workers' Compensation Cases. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2018; 8(4):208-214. PMC: 5755839. DOI: 10.1177/2151458517732209. View