A. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 45 of this title, if an employee suffers a nonsurgical soft tissue injury, temporary total disability compensation shall not exceed eight (8) weeks, regardless of the number of parts of the body to which there is a nonsurgical soft tissue injury. An employee who is treated with an injection or injections shall be entitled to an extension of an additional eight (8) weeks. For purposes of this section, an injection shall not include facet injections or intravenous injections. An employee who has been recommended by a treating physician for surgery for a soft tissue injury may petition the Workers' Compensation Commission for one extension of temporary total disability compensation and the Commission may order an extension, not to exceed sixteen (16) additional weeks. If the surgery is not performed within thirty (30) days of the approval of the surgery by the employer, its insurance carrier, or an order of the Commission authorizing the surgery, and the delay is caused by the employee acting in bad faith, the benefits for the extension period shall be terminated and the employee shall reimburse the employer any temporary total disability compensation he or she received beyond eight (8) weeks. An epidural steroid injection, or any procedure of the same or similar physical invasiveness, shall not be considered surgery.

B. For purposes of this section, "soft tissue injury" means damage to one or more of the tissues that surround bones and joints. Soft tissue injury includes, but is not limited to, sprains, strains, contusions, tendonitis and muscle tears. Cumulative trauma is to be considered a soft tissue injury unless corrective surgery is necessary. Soft tissue injury does not include any of the following:

1. Injury to or disease of the spine, spinal discs, spinal nerves or spinal cord, where corrective surgery is performed;

2. Brain or closed-head injury as evidenced by:

a.sensory or motor disturbances,

b.communication disturbances,

c.complex integrated disturbances of cerebral function,

d.episodic neurological disorders, or

e.other brain and closed-head injury conditions at least as severe in nature as any condition provided in subparagraphs a through d of this paragraph; or

3. Any joint replacement.

Added by Laws 2013, c. 208, § 62, eff. Feb. 1, 2014. Amended by Laws 2019, c. 476, § 23, emerg. eff. May 28, 2019.