Influence of workers' compensation eligibility upon functional recovery 10 to 28 years after polytrauma.
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.
Zelle
Boris A
BA
Department of Trauma Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. zelleba@upmc.edu
Panzica
Martin
M
Vogt
Molly T
MT
Sittaro
Nicola A
NA
Krettek
Christian
C
Pape
Hans C
HC
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011336:Probability; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*