Am J Ind Med

BackgroundWe sought to identify early risk factors for work disability compensation prior to and after carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) surgery, and to determine whether pre-surgery disability compensation is associated with long-term disability.MethodsWashington State workers\ue2\u20ac\u2122 compensation administrative data and data from interviews with workers 18 days (median) after submitting new workers\ue2\u20ac\u2122 compensation claims for CTS were examined. Baseline risk factors for pre-surgery disability compensation and for long-term disability (\ue2\u2030\ua5365 days of work disability compensation prior to two years after claim filing) were evaluated for workers who underwent CTS surgery and had at least one day of disability compensation (N=670).ResultsAfter adjustment for baseline long-term disability risk factors, workers with pre-surgery disability compensation had over five times the odds of long-term disability. Baseline factors in multiple domains, including job, psychosocial, clinical, and worker pain and function, were associated with both pre-surgery disability compensation and long-term disability.ConclusionsRisk factors for work disability prior to and after CTS surgery are similar, and early work disability is a risk factor for long-term CTS-related disability. An integrated approach to CTS-related disability prevention could include identifying and addressing combined risk factors soon after claim filing, more efficient use of conservative treatments and appropriate work modifications to minimize early work loss, and, when indicated, timely surgical intervention.R01 OH004069/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United StatesT32 ES015459/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United StatesT32 ES015459-02/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States1R01OHO4069/PHS HHS/United States2013-09-01T00:00:00Z22392804PMC338635