Return to car driving is safe 6 weeks after operative treatment of right ankle fractures.
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg
; 138(12): 1691-1697, 2018 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30229342
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
There is no clear consensus on when patients with surgically treated right ankle fractures can return to car driving, or how best to assess their fitness to drive. Through a rigorous driving assessment program consisting of both off-road and on-road tests, we aim to determine if these patients are able to pass a standard driving test, even before weight bearing has been initiated.METHODS:
A prospective grant-funded (Supported by AOTrauma Asia Pacific Ref AOTAP12-17) clinical study was conducted. Patients aged 25-65 years who underwent surgery for right ankle fractures and held a valid motorcar driving license were recruited in a single institution from 2013 to 2015. The surgeon and a specialist occupational therapist assessed the patients at 2, 6 and 12 weeks post-surgery. A Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) Questionnaire was administered and the brake reaction time was measured using a driving simulator. Patients who met the minimal criteria were then subjected to a full on-road driving test in a real-world environment with a driving instructor. A follow-up telephone questionnaire was administered at least 6 months after return to driving to determine if patients had returned to driving safely.RESULTS:
A total of 23 patients (8 females, 15 males) were recruited. The mean age was 42.8 (± 12.9) years. There was a significant improvement in the SMFA (p < 0.05) and braking time (p < 0.05) at 6 and 12 weeks post-surgery. Nearly all (91%) patients passed the on-road driving test at 6 weeks, before their fractures had healed or weight bearing was initiated. The questionnaire administered at least 6 months after return to driving revealed that all patients had returned to regular driving safely.CONCLUSION:
We conclude that patients with isolated, surgically treated right ankle fractures can successfully pass a standard driving test at 6 weeks post-surgery, even before weight bearing has been initiated. We also showed that the ability to drive correlates with improvements in the SMFA scores and braking times. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Condução de Veículo
/
Recuperação de Função Fisiológica
/
Fraturas do Tornozelo
/
Fixação Interna de Fraturas
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Singapura