Reducing Disability Durations and Medical Costs for Patients With a Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery Through the Use of Opioid Prescribing Guidelines.

Objective: The impacts of compliance with opioid prescribing guidelines on disability durations and medical costs for carpal tunnel release (CTR) were examined.

Methods: Using a dataset of insured US employees, opioid prescriptions for 7840 short-term disability cases with a CTR procedure were identified. Opioids prescriptions were compared with the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)'s opioid prescribing guidelines for postoperative, acute pain, which recommends no more than a 5-day supply, a maximum morphine equivalent dose of 50 mg/day, and only short-acting opioids.

A randomized controlled trial evaluating an alternative mouse or forearm support on change in median and ulnar nerve motor latency at the wrist.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an alternative mouse and/or a forearm support board on nerve function at the wrist among engineers.

Methods: This randomized controlled intervention trial followed 206 engineers for 1 year. Distal motor latency (DML) at baseline and follow-up was conducted for the median and ulnar nerves at the right wrist.

Upper extremity mononeuropathy among engineers.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of mononeuropathy at the wrist among engineers who use computers and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 202 engineers using questionnaires and electrophysiological nerve testing. The definition for median or ulnar mononeuropathy required the combination of distal upper extremity discomfort and abnormal distal motor latency.