Okla. Stat. tit. 85A, § 85A-62

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:

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 85A. Workers' Compensation Page 91

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.