Workers' Compensation Status and Outcomes Following Lumbar Surgery.
Publication/Presentation Date
5-1-2022
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of preoperative workers' compensation (WC) status on patient-reported outcome measures following lumbar decompression with or without fusion.
METHODS: All patients undergoing lumbar decompression with or without fusion at a single academic institution between 2013 and 2017 were identified. Patients were split into groups based on WC status: no workers' compensation (NWC), WC), or retired. Intragroup analysis used paired t tests. Outcomes between groups were compared using Kruskal-Wallis H test. Multiple linear regression analysis determined if WC status was a predictor of change in patient-reported outcome measures. Subgroup analysis was conducted for WC patients who returned to work.
RESULTS: Of 571 included patients, 242 (43.4%) had NWC, 83 (14.5%) had WC, and 246 (43.1%) were retired. Comparing within groups, WC patients showed significant improvement in Short Form-12 Health Survey Physical Component Score, Oswestry Disability Index, visual analog scale (VAS) back pain, and VAS leg pain (all P < 0.001) after surgery. However, WC patients improved less than NWC or retired patients in Short Form-12 Health Survey Physical Component Score (P = 0.010), VAS back pain (P = 0.028), and VAS leg pain (P = 0.015). WC was an independent predictor of decreased improvement in Short Form-12 Health Survey Physical Component Score (β = -4.31, P = 0.001), VAS back pain (β = 0.90, P = 0.034), and VAS leg pain (β = 1.50, P = 0.002) on multivariate analysis. WC patients who did not return to work was an independent predictor of decreased improvement in VAS back pain (β = 1.39, P = 0.016) and VAS leg pain (β = 2.11, P = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: WC patients improve less than NWC patients. However, WC patients who return to work have similar VAS back and neck pain improvements as NWC patients.
Volume
161
First Page
730
Last Page
730
ISSN
1878-8769
Published In/Presented At
Karamian, B. A., Mangan, J., Siegel, N., Lambrechts, M. J., Sirch, F., Trivedi, A., Toci, G., D'Antonio, N. D., Canseco, J. A., Kaye, D., Woods, B., Radcliff, K., Kurd, M., Rihn, J., Hilibrand, A., Kepler, C. K., Vaccaro, A. R., & Schroeder, G. (2022). Workers' Compensation Status and Outcomes Following Lumbar Surgery. World neurosurgery, 161, e730–e739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.090
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
35231623
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article