Carpal Tunnel Decompression and Occupational Productivity: Assessing Post-Surgical Work Engagement and Absenteeism

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) presents significant occupational and economic challenges.
• Limited data exists on postoperative work outcomes for CTS patients in Tunisia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate postoperative work outcomes in surgically treated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients in Tunisia.
• To identify predictors of surgical intervention and factors influencing work productivity post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study of 118 surgically managed CTS patients (2014-2022).
• Utilized the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire-Tunisian Arabic (BCTQ-A) and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment-General Health (WPAI-GH) questionnaire.
• Analyzed predictors for surgery and postoperative work productivity using multivariate analysis.

Main Results:

• Predictors for surgery included bilateral CTS, thumb opposition loss, and occupational factors (long workdays, seniority).
• Postoperatively, 68.3% required workstation adjustments, 19.5% job transfers, and 84.4% needed 30-day medical leave.
• Significant work productivity loss (69.4%) was observed, particularly in older and less-educated workers, driven by nocturnal pain and functional limitations.

Conclusions:

• Surgical Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has a substantial impact on work quality, necessitating early conservative management and preventive strategies.
• Ergonomic interventions and multidisciplinary prevention are vital, especially in high-risk industries like garment manufacturing.
• Proactive measures targeting manual laborers are essential to reduce the socioeconomic impact of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.