Do Outcomes Differ After Proximal Hamstring Repair for Patients Receiving Workers' Compensation?

BACKGROUND: Patients with workers' compensation (WC) insurance claims are often shown to experience inferior patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after an orthopaedic surgical intervention compared with patients without WC claims.

PURPOSE: To compare the postoperative PROs of patients with WC claims (WC patients) versus those without WC claims (non-WC patients) after proximal hamstring repair (PHR).

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: WC patients who underwent PHR between November 2011 and to September 2020 were propensity score matched at a 1:2 ratio to non-WC patients according to age, sex, and body mass index. Comorbidity data were collected as well as minimum 1-year postoperative PRO scores for the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), and the 12-Item Short From Health Survey (SF-12) Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). The type of work was characterized according to national WC insurance guidelines as light (maximum 20 lbs [9.1 kg]), medium (maximum 50 lbs [22.7 kg]), or heavy (≥50 lbs) [>/=22.7 kg].

RESULTS: A total of 30 patients (10 WC and 20 non-WC) were included. The work type and baseline demographic characteristics of patients did not differ between groups. There were no significant between-group differences in postoperative PRO scores as measured by the LEFS ( P = .488), HOS ( P = .233), or SF-12 PCS ( P = .521). However, the WC cohort showed inferior SF-12 MCS scores compared with the non-WC group (49.28 ± 9.97 vs 54.26 ± 9.69, respectively; P = .032). The WC status was also associated with an increased time needed for patients to return to full-duty work capacity (21 ± 9 vs 9 ± 8 weeks; P = .005).

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that WC and non-WC patients who undergo PHR have comparable outcomes. Differences in SF-12 MCS scores and return to work time for full-duty capacity warrant further investigation.