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Influence of workers' compensation eligibility upon functional recovery 10 to 28 years after polytrauma
Boris A Zelle1, Martin Panzica, Molly T Vogt
1Department of Trauma Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. zelleba@upmc.edu
Background:
Previous studies have shown that work-related injuries are often associated with inferior outcomes. The aim of the current study was to compare the long-term functional outcome after polytrauma between work-related and non-work-related injuries at a minimum follow-up of 10 years.
Methods:
Six hundred thirty-seven polytrauma patients were evaluated using a patient questionnaire and a physical examination. The average follow-up was 17.5 years (range 10-28 years); the average Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 20.7 (range 4 to 54).
Results:
A multivariate analysis, with adjustments for age, sex, injury severity, and injury pattern, demonstrated that work-related injuries resulted in significantly inferior outcomes measured by the Hannove Score for Polytrauma Outcome (HASPOC), 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), requirement for medical aids and devices, length of rehabilitation, and retirement status (P < .05).
Conclusions:
Polytrauma patients receiving workers' compensation achieve significantly inferior long-term outcomes than other patients. The obtained results demonstrate that psychosocial variables such as insurance status have a significant impact on the functional recovery following polytrauma.
