Predictors of rate of return to work after surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome

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Abstract
Objective. To evaluate the impact of patient demographics, clinical features, and job‐related factors on the time until return to work after carpal tunnel release surgery. Methods. We employed a cross‐sectional community‐based study of 59 patients who had undergone carpal tunnel release surgery. Sociodemographic, clinical, and job‐related characteristics and time to return to work were obtained by interview and from medical records. Exposure to ergonomic risk was derived from an independently validated job matrix. Time to return to work after surgery was analyzed by survival techniques. Results. Median time to return to work was 5 weeks. After adjustment, the relative rate (RR) of return to work per week after surgery was most strongly decreased by the receipt of workers' compensation, RR 0.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1–0.5), and by the exposure to bending and twisting of the hand prior to surgery, RR 0.7 (95% CI 0.5–0.9) per hour. Female gender was another predictor of decreased return to work, RR 0.5 (95% CI 0.3–0.8). Conclusions. Patients receiving workers' compensation, those exposed to higher levels of bending and twisting of their hands and wrists, and women were slower to return to work after carpal tunnel release surgery.