SynthesisPloS one2012
Workers' compensation status: does it affect orthopaedic surgery outcomes? A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 35 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does Workers' Compensation Status Affect Outcomes after Lumbar Spine Surgery? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The Effect of Workers' Compensation on Outcome Measurement Methods after Upper Extremity Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Plastic and reconstructive surgery · 2017Pooled it
- Predicting and Preventing Loss to Follow-up of Adult Trauma Patients in Randomized Controlled Trials: An Example from the FLOW Trial.The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume · 2017Trial
- The Association of First Provider Seen With Time Loss From Work Among Workers With Back Injury: A Cohort Study.American journal of industrial medicine · 2026Article
- Association Between Worker's Compensation Status and Outcomes for Surgical Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis.Journal of hand surgery global online · 2026Article
- Influence of Workers' Compensation Status on Functional Recovery and Return to Work After Proximal Hamstring Avulsion Surgery: A Matched Cohort Study.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Functional Outcomes, Complications, and Failure Rates in Workers' Compensation Patients Following Hip Arthroscopic Repair: A Systematic Review.HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery · 2024Review
- Outcomes of Common Peroneal Nerve Decompression.Cureus · 2024Article
- Outcomes of upper extremity sensory neuromas treated with excision and burial.Journal of hand and microsurgery · 2024Article
- Worker's compensation and no-fault insurance are associated with decreased patient reported outcomes and higher rates of revision at 2 and 5 years follow-up compared to patients with commercial insurance undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement.Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · 2024Article
- Implementation of health-related quality of life in the German TraumaRegister DGU® - first results of a pilot study.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2024Article
- Workers' Compensation: The Burden on Healthcare Resource Utilization After Foot and Ankle Surgery.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2023Article
- Reoperation Following Zone II Flexor Tendon Repair.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2023Article
- Preoperative factors associated with failure to reach the patient acceptable symptom state after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients aged 40 and older.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2023Article
- Effects of Injury Pattern and Treatment on Case Length and Disposition for Hand Injuries Treated Under a Workers' Compensation Claim.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2022Article
- Workers compensation patients experiencing depression report meaningful improvement in mental health scores after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2022Article
- Efficacy of non-operative treatment of patients with knee arthrofibrosis using high-intensity home mechanical therapy: a retrospective review of 11,000+ patients.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2022Article
- Article
- Impact of Body Mass Index on Postsurgical Outcomes for Workers' Compensation Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.International journal of spine surgery · 2022Article
- Dorsal Capsule Interpositional Arthroplasty of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPrevious reviews have demonstrated that patient outcomes following orthopaedic surgery are strongly influenced by the presence of Workers' Compensation. However, the variability in the reviews' methodology may have inflated the estimated strength of this association. The main objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the influence of Workers' Compensation on the outcomes of orthopaedic surgical procedures.
methodsWe conducted a systematic search of the literature published in this area from 1992-2012, with no language restrictions. The following databases were used MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL, Google Scholar, LILACS and Pubmed. We also hand-searched the reference sections of all selected papers. We included all prospective studies evaluating the effect of compensation status on outcomes in adult patients who had undergone surgery due to orthopaedic conditions or diseases. Outcomes of interest included disease specific, region specific and/or overall quality of life scales/questionnaires and surgeons' personal judgment of the results. We used an assessment tool to appraise the quality of all included studies. We used Review Manager to create forest plots to summarize study data and funnel plots for the assessment of publication bias.
resultsTwenty studies met our eligibility criteria. The overall risk ratio for experiencing an unsatisfactory result after orthopaedic surgery for patients with compensation compared to non-compensated patients is 2.08 (95% CI 1.54-2.82). A similar association was shown for continuous data extracted from the studies using assessment scales or questionnaires (Standard Mean Difference = -0.70 95% CI -0.97- -0.43).
conclusionsAmong patients who undergo orthopaedic surgical procedures, those receiving Workers' Compensation experience a two-fold greater risk of a negative outcome. Our findings show a considerably lower estimate of risk compared to previous reviews that include retrospective data. Further research is warranted to determine the etiological explanation for the influence of compensation status on patient outcomes. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42012002121.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.