The effect of legal representation on functional recovery of the hand in injured workers following carpal tunnel release.

A group of 225 patients who underwent surgical release for carpal tunnel syndrome, considered causally related to their jobs, were compared on the basis of one variable: representation by an attorney. Postoperative functional recovery measurements for the represented and the unrepresented workers were reviewed. There is no difference in the functional recovery rates or final functional values in these two groups of workers. We concluded that an attorney representing an injured worker did not influence the functional recovery of the hand in these patients, nor did it affect the medical decision-making process.