Observational studyBMJ open2021
Sickness absence after carpal tunnel release: a multicentre prospective cohort study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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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
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Return-to-Work and Early Functional Recovery Following Office-Based Ultrasound-Guided Microinvasive Carpal Tunnel Release: A Prospective Cohort Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- Return-to-Work After Carpal Tunnel Release Across Surgical Techniques: A Narrative Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Work Participation in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Referred to Departments of Occupational Medicine-A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study.American journal of industrial medicine · 2025Article
- Driving, work, wound care and rehabilitation after carpal tunnel release: Consensus recommendations from a UK Delphi study.Hand therapy · 2022Article
- Occupational and non-occupational risk factors correlating with the severity of clinical manifestations of carpal tunnel syndrome and related work disability among workers who work with a computer.Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo describe when patients return to different types of work after elective carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery and identify the factors associated with the duration of sickness absence.
designMulticentre prospective observational cohort study. SETTING AND
participantsParticipants were recruited preoperatively from 16 UK centres and clinical, occupational and demographic information were collected. Participants completed a weekly diary and questionnaires at four and 12 weeks postoperatively. OUTCOMES: The main outcome was duration of work absence from date of surgery to date of first return to work.
results254 participants were enrolled in the study and 201 provided the follow-up data. Median duration of sickness absence was 20 days (range 1-99). Earlier return to work was associated with having surgery in primary care and a self-reported work role involving more than 4 hours of daily computer use. Being female and entitlement to more than a month of paid sick leave were both associated with longer work absences. The duration of work absence was strongly associated with the expected duration of leave, as reported by participants before surgery. Earlier return to work was not associated with poorer clinical outcomes reported 12 weeks after CTR.
conclusionsThere was wide variation in the duration of work absence after CTR across all occupational categories. A combination of occupational, demographic and clinical factors was associated with the duration of work absence, illustrating the complexity of return to work decision making. However, preoperative expectations were strongly associated with the actual duration of leave. We found no evidence that earlier return to work was harmful. Clear, consistent advice from clinicians preoperatively setting expectations of a prompt return to work could reduce unnecessary sickness absence after CTR. To enable this, clinicians need evidence-informed guidance about appropriate timescales for the safe return to different types of work.
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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.