Arthroscopic acromioplasty: a comparison between workers' compensation and non-workers' compensation populations

The purpose of the present prospective study was to analyze a consecutive series of patients with subacromial impingement syndrome who were managed with arthroscopic acromioplasty by a single surgeon.

A consecutive series of 106 patients (106 shoulders) with a mean age of 44.7 years (range, twenty to seventy years) was analyzed after a mean duration of follow-up of thirty-two months. The Workers' Compensation group included forty patients (twenty-five men and fifteen women) with a mean age of 41.7 years. The non-Workers' Compensation group included sixty-six patients (thirty-two men and thirty-four women) with a mean age of 46.5 years. The work-demand level was categorized according to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles from the United States Department of Labor. Previously unrecognized intra-articular pathological changes were categorized with use of consistent criteria. Workers' Compensation status, the work-demand level, and the presence of associated intra-articular pathological changes were analyzed for their effect on outcome scores and time to return to full-duty work.

The mean outcome scores for the entire population showed significant improvement when the preoperative values were compared with the postoperative values; specifically, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score improved from 41.8 to 86.9, the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) score improved from 5.1 to 10.0, and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain improved from 6.0 to 1.1 (p < 0.05). Postoperatively, there was no significant difference in the mean outcome scores between the Workers' Compensation and non-Workers' Compensation groups or between different work-demand levels. There was, however, a significant difference in the average time to return to full-duty work (13.7 weeks in the Workers' Compensation group compared with 9.1 weeks in the non-Workers' Compensation group; p = 0.0001), with the Workers' Compensation group having relatively heavier work-demand levels. Intra-articular pathological findings did not affect the outcome scores, but pathological findings that changed treatment were associated with a longer time to return to work (p = 0.04).

Arthroscopic acromioplasty consistently provided a good surgical outcome and the ability to return to work in both the Workers' Compensation and non-Workers' Compensation populations. The work-demand level had a direct effect on the time to return to full duty, regardless of Workers' Compensation status. Patients, physicians, therapists, and employers may benefit from the knowledge of these expected outcomes and realistic time-frames for return to work.