Injury Length Timeframes for Upper Extremity Injuries Provide Average Timeframes for Workers Compensation Absence

Injury Duration Guidelines are a tool for employers. They are helpful to know approximately how long an injured worker may be out of work. It is a way to compare against what the doctor and/or the employee say is the expectation of time out of work. If there is a discrepancy in the what you are told, ask your medical advisor. Many employers do not know that this type of tool exists.

Keep in mind any length of disability depends on many factors such as the severity of the injury and other medical conditions. For example, it may take a person with diabetes much longer to heal, than someone who does not have this condition so check with your medical advisor about lengths of time a person should be out of work.

When using these guidelines as a tool, minimum times equate to clerical, light-duty job. Maximum time-frames are for heavy industrial type jobs. All time-frames are measured in weeks, unless otherwise noted.

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Injury Duration Guidelines-Upper Extremity Injuries

Type of Injury Upper Extremity	Area# Weeks	Area #Weeks	Area #Weeks	Area #Weeks	Area #Weeks
	Arm	Elbow	Forearm	Wrist/Hand	Fingers Thumbs
Abrasion Contusions	1-2	2-4	1	1	1
Burns	0-6	0-6	1-20	1-10	1-10
Dislocation	See Part	3-6		2-6	1-3
Fractures	6-8	3-6	6-12	6-10	3-5
Incisions	0-2	2-24	2-24	2-8	2-8
Lacerations	0-6+	2-8	2-8	1-4	1-4
Punctures	0-3	2-4	2-4	1-3	1-2
Sprains/Strains	See Part	1-3		1-3	1
Repetitive MotionTendinitis	See Part	0-3		1-6	0-3 SeeNote 6

Note 1: Burn healing depends on degree (area and depth)
Note 2: Dislocations and Fractures apply to ribs. Punctures and incisions are those penetrating the thoracic cavity.
Note 3: Punctures and incisions are those penetrating the abdominal cavity.
Note 4: 2nd or 3rd degree, area variable.
Note 5: Total recuperation. However, there may be little disability during that time if walking is minimized.
Note 6: Time for carpal tunnel syndrome is quite variable, in part because factors other than workplace injuries are often involved.

Injury duration timeframes provided by Leslie J. Hutchinson, MD, MPH, FACOEM and Sanford S. Leffingwell, MD, MPH, Board-Certified in Occupational and Preventive Medicine. They can be reached at: 1-770-963-1223 HLM Consultants or hlm@hlmconsultants.com

WC Calculator www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/calculator.php
TD Calculator www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/transitional-duty-cost-calculator.php
WC 101 www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/workers_comp.php

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel before implementing any cost containment programs.