Predictors of Time to Return to Work Following Surgical Reconstruction of Upper Limb Injuries in a Cosmopolitan City in Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The management of upper limb injury is aimed at a timely return to work, and other activities of daily living. The modified hand injury severity score (MHISS) has been found to predict a return to work. Upper limb injuries are common in our subregion, but there is little or no data on the time to return to work. Aim: This study, therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence of return to work and to identify the predictors of time to return to work following reconstruction of upper limb injuries. Method: This was a cross-sectional analytic study carried out between April 2022 and March 2023. The statistical test was at a confidence interval of 95%, and statistical significance set at a P value of <0.05. Result: A total of 49 upper-limb-injured patients had reconstruction in the time under review. Male-to-female ratio was 4.4:1. The mean MHISS was 87.9 ± 79.2. Of the 43 patients who participated in the return-to-work analysis, 41.9% had returned to work, with a mean time of 14.3 ± 10.5 weeks. Work-related injuries (r = 0.357, P = 0.019), male gender (r = 0.354, P = 0.020), and MHISS (r = 0.333, P = 0.029) correlated significantly with late return to work. On multiple logistic regression, work-related injuries (β =0.321, P = 0.037), MHISS (β =0.376, P = 0.032), and male gender (β =0.326, P = 0.044) were found to be the significant predictors of late return to work. Conclusion: There is a low prevalence of return to work, with a high mean time to return. Work-related injuries, MHISS, and male gender are significant predictors of time to return to work.