Injuries and illnesses to
the shoulder, knee, and
wrist took the longest
recovery time.
In 2003 the medians for injuries to the shoulder, knee, and wrist were 18 days,
14 days, and 17 days.
The most frequent injuries associated with shoulders and knees were sprains,
strains, and tears, while the most common injury to the wrist was carpal tunnel
syndrome.
The most frequently injured part of body was the back. These cases had a
median 7 days away from work, the same as the median for all injuries and
illnesses.
Shoulder
17
Knee
15
Wrist
14
Multiple parts
10
Lower extremities
9
Trunk
9
Upper extremities
7
Back
7
Toe
6
Foot, except toe
6
Neck
6
Body systems
5
Finger
5
Hand, except finger
5
Eye
2
Head
2
0
2
4
6
All parts of body,
7 days
8
10
12
Median days away from work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, November 2005
14
16
18