SHORT REPORT

Work status after workers’ compensation claims for upper limb musculoskeletal disorders

Y Roquelaure¹, S Cren², F Rousseau¹, A Touranchet², C Dano¹, S Fanello¹, D Penneau-Fontbonne¹

¹ Consultation de Pathologie Professionnelle, CHU, F-49033 Angers, France
² Inspection médicale du travail des Pays-de-la-Loire, DRTE-FP, 26 Bd Gaston-Gâche – 44263 Nantes, France

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Y Roquelaure
Consultation de Pathologie Professionnelle, CHU, F-49033 Angers, France; Yvroquelaure{at}chu-angers.fr

Aim: To provide information on employment status after workers’ compensation (WC) claims for musculoskeletal disorders of the limbs (MSDs).

Methods: Two-year follow up of the workers who filed a WC claim for MSDs in 1996 in the Pays de la Loire region. Of the 701 eligible workers, 514 workers (70%) participated. Information was requested by means of a mailed questionnaire about the characteristics of the MSDs and job status at the time of the WC claim and two years later.

Results: Two years after the WC claim, 65% of the claimants had returned to work in the same company, often without any ergonomic improvement, 12% had retired or had left employment voluntarily, and 18% had been dismissed. The risk of dismissal was associated with three factors: being older than 45 years, having two or more MSDs at claim, and working in the cleaning services sector.

Keywords: musculoskeletal disorders; prognosis; social consequences; workers compensation claims

Abbreviations: CTS, carpal tunnel syndrome; MSD, musculoskeletal disorder; WC, workers’ compensation

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