Carpal tunnel surgery outcomes in workers: effect of workers' compensation status.

One hundred thirteen workers' compensation and 53 non-workers' compensation patients who had undergone open carpal tunnel release were queried about job status and the presence or absence of residual symptoms of numbness, pain, or nocturnal awakening an average of 42 months postoperatively. Thirty-nine non-workers' compensation subjects were at their original jobs as compared to only 53 workers' compensation subjects. Seventeen of the workers' compensation subjects were unemployed versus two non-workers' compensation subjects. These differences were significant. Of patients changing jobs, 39 workers' compensation subjects and 2 non-workers' compensation subjects attributed their job change to symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Residual symptoms were significantly more common in workers' compensation compared to non-workers' compensation subjects, with 92 of the former and 26 of the latter subjects reporting some residual symptoms.