THE COST OF COMPENSABLE UPPER EXTREMITY CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS

There is little information available of the costs of upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders. Cost data were collected from computerize d records of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for upper extremity cumulative trauma disorder workers' compensation claims (N = 6,067) an d for all claims (N = 731,087) initiated from 45 states during 1989. T he data were not analyzed until July 1992, allowing more accurate ''cl osing cost'' data to be used in the analysis. Upper extremity cumulati ve trauma disorder cases represented 0.83% of all claims and 1.64% of all claims costs. The mean cost per case for upper extremity cumulativ e trauma disorders was $8070; median cost per case was $824. Medical c osts represented 32.9% of the total costs; indemnity costs were 65.1%. The total compensable cost for upper extremity cumulative trauma diso rders in the United States was estimated to be $563 million.