Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most frequent indications for spinal surgery which typically includes decompression alone (decompression) or decompression with lumbar fusion (fusion). Employers providing short term disability (STD) benefits will incur STD claim costs and other associated labor costs for their employees undergoing these surgeries. Data on STD claims associated with back surgery are limited. This client report analyzes the STD claim experience of those with disability eligibility to determine if there was a notable difference in STD initiation and duration between the decompression and fusion patients.

This report was commissioned by Paradigm Spine, LLC.