The Long-Term Burden of Work-Related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relative to Upper-Extremity Fractures and Dermatitis in Washington State

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is among the most burdensome of all musculoskeletal disorders as measured by workers' compensation claims costs and lost earnings. But the burden of CTS extends beyond direct claim costs. Methods A survey covering health, social, economic and work-related outcomes was administered to 1,255 injured workers whose Washington State Fund workers' compensation claims had closed 6 years previously. Logistic and linear regression methods were used to model the outcomes of CTS claimants across four separate outcome domains. Results Workers diagnosed with CTS suffer substantial deficits across all four outcome domains as compared to the two comparison groups of claimants. Former CTS claimants were almost twice as likely not to be working as compared to the fractures cohort. Conclusions A comprehensive measurement of the burden of CTS shows losses extend beyond direct claims costs to include continuing pain, loss of function, adverse financial impacts and household disruption which extend long after claim closure. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.