Workplace and Joint Replacement: What’s On-The-Job and What’s Just Aging?

Let’s talk about work-related joint injuries and replacements. Sebastian Negrusa, Ph.D., joins Judson and Alan to share the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute’s (WCRI) new report, “Recent Trends in Joint Replacement Among Workers’ Compensation Claims.”  While back injuries usually come to mind for workplace injuries, joint injuries, and subsequent replacements, are becoming more common. Are you up to speed on this trend? Shoulder, hip, and knee replacements are important parts of making workers whole and getting them back to their jobs and their lives.  How do you prove a workplace-related joint injury when someone has worked at the same job for decades? What’s work-related, what’s just a function of natural aging? What if the workplace only aggravated a naturally occurring degeneration? It’s complicated, but all workers deserve to be treated fairly, and all workplaces should be safe. If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Mentioned in This Episode: “Recent Trends in Joint Replacement Among Workers’ Compensation Claims,” WCRI, By Dongchun Wang, Vennela Thumula, Randall Lea, M.D. “CJR-X (Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Expanded) Model,” CMS.gov