Return to work after primary total hip or knee arthroplasty. First French study. Retrospective study of 241 cases.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The quality and reliability of the results of primary total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA) have allowed indications to be extended to younger, working-age patients, raising the issue of return to work. This question has never been specifically addressed in THA and TKA in a French population. We therefore conducted a retrospective study to determine (1) the rates and intervals of return to work, and (2) factors affecting return to work and reasons for non-return. HYPOTHESIS: Rates and intervals of return to work are comparable to those in Western countries as a whole 1.1-10.5 weeks in THA and 8-12 weeks in TKA. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A single-center retrospective study included patients aged under 65 at surgery, between 2009 and 2013. A questionnaire collected population and occupational data. The patients' occupational situation was collected at a minimum 1 year postoperatively. During the study period, 289 TKAs or THAs were performed; 241 patients were recontacted, 144 of whom had been working at the time of surgery 72 THAs and 72 TKAs. The sex-ratio was well balanced 69 males, 75 females. Mean age was 55.8±8 years (range, 18.6-65.7 years). The mean time from surgery to data collection was 34.5 months (95% CI, 32.2-36.8 months). RESULTS: In all, 86 patients (57.6%) returned to work, at a mean 124 days (range, 15-540 days; 95% CI, 102.8-144.4 days). At 3 months, 55.4% of patients (n=46) had returned to work, and 97.6% (n=81) at 12 months. In most cases, patients returned to the same occupation. CONCLUSION: The study hypothesis was not confirmed. French primary THA or TKA patients returned to work later and less frequently than in other Western countries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV, retrospective study without control group.