title: Occupational outcome after surgery in patients with a rotator cuff tear due to a work-related injury or occupational disease. A series of 262 cases.
abstract: The goals of this study were to establish the occupational outcome after surgery in patients with a rotator cuff tear from a work-related injury (WRI) or occupational disease (OD) and determine which factors and conditions affected return to work.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  return to work was possible for this type of patient. This questionnaire-based study comprised 262 shoulders in 254 patients with a WRI/OD who had surgery performed on their shoulder between 2000 and 2005. The average age was 50.5 ± 6.4 years. The following variables were analysed: employment status (private sector, self-employed, government employee), type of work (non-manual, manual, heavy manual labour), nature of tendon injury and surgical technique (open, mini-open and arthroscopy). Return to work occurred in 59.5% of the cases. Factors that prevented return to work (40.4% of the cases) included retirement (14.1%), an unrelated medical condition (10.3%), and the outcome of the operated shoulder (16.0%). Age had an impact on return to work (P<5 × 10(-4)). The type of work and nature of tendon injury did not affect return to work, but did affect time away from work. Employment status and surgical technique had an effect on return to work, but not on time away from work. Age was a decisive factor for return to work. Retirement seemed to be the most common choice starting at 55 years of age. Arthroscopy seemed to have reduced the impact of the WRI on the results, particularly on the time away from work. A preoperative evaluation of the patient's probability of returning to work should be done based on occupational and injury features. There may be a longer delay in returning to work for certain profiles of work (manual labour) and tendon injury. Patient management can be improved by knowing the factors and conditions that influence return to work.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level IV - Retrospective study.
authors.affiliation: Shoulder Unit, Santy Orthopaedic Center, 24, avenue Paul-Santy, 69008 Lyon, France. lnovejosserandpro@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nové-Josserand
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Liotard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godeneche
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neyton
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walch
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome