1. Article Review – by Cameron Shaw, B.Kin
An investigation of a workplace-based return-to-work program for shoulder injuries
This article by Shaw, Domanski, Freeman and Hoffele (2008) was to investigate and evaluate the
current workplace management for rotator cuff injuries in a manufacturing plant.
In this case study approach, 184 workers with shoulder injuries participated. 13.6% were female,
86.4% were male and ages ranged from 18-45. The aim of this study was to examine the impact
of the company’s return-to-work processes, compare outcomes and to identify the components of
their workplace return-to-work program.
This article focused on the progression of modified work and the enactment of rehabilitation in
the work place as shoulder injury treatment costs exceed all other types of upper extremity work-
related injuries. Furthermore, this article highlighted that successful workplace-based return-to-
work programs were achieved when employers monitored and corrected unsafe behaviour. This
articled emphasized that injured workers that were offered modified work in a timely manner
returned to work at twice the rate of those that were not or reduced the number of lost days in
half. Their modified work could include 1) an adjustment of the worker’s job rotation 2)
restriction of certain jobs 3) split regular / light duties 4) full shift of light duties followed by a
‘reassessment phase’. This article identified that 73.63% of workers were placed in this light
duties program within 30 days.
This study also found that 56% of workers who engaged in an early return-to-work program
returned to work within one month, 73.2% within two months, 83% within three months and
87.8% of workers with rotator cuff injuries successfully returned to pre-injury work. Overall, this
study concluded that there is a strong correlation between the number of days to place into a
modified duty program and the number of days to return to work.
As a rehabilitation specialist, involved in handling LTD case files, this article will allow me to
better assess claimants knowing that workers with shoulder injuries that have access to early and
safe modified duties and will be frequently followed up at work can achieve success in returning
to pre-injury work.
For full details of this study see Work 30 (2008) 267-276