Observer-reported outcome measures showed that patients ’ driving abilities often are impaired when wearing an immobilizing cast above or below the elbow or a shoulder sling on their dominant arm .
Conclusions The available evidence provides a best-case scenario for when patients can return to driving .
Survey data suggest that patients are returning to driving before observer-reported outcome measures have normalized , indicating that physicians should tell patients to wait longer before driving .
Background Patients often ask their doctors when they can safely return to driving after orthopaedic injuries and procedures , but the data regarding this topic are diverse and sometimes conflicting .
Some studies provide observer-reported outcome measures , such as brake response time or simulators , to estimate when patients can safely resume driving after surgery , and patient survey data describing when patients report a return to driving , but they do not all agree .
We performed a systematic review and quality appraisal for available data regarding when patients are safe to resume driving after common orthopaedic surgeries and injuries affecting the ability to drive .
Questions / purpose sBased on the available evidence , we sought to determine when patients can safely return to driving after ( 1 ) lower extremity orthopaedic surgery and injuries ; ( 2 ) upper extremity orthopaedic surgery and injuries ; and ( 3 ) spine surgery .
Driving reaction time before and after surgery for lumbar disc herniation in patients with radiculopathy
Purpose Although patients scheduled to undergo lumbar disc surgery  often ask when they are allowed to drive a motor vehicle again , there are no published recommendations on this subject . Methods We conducted a prospect i ve study in 46 consecutive patients ( mean age 48.9 years ) to determine driving reaction time ( DRT ) before and after surgery in patients with lumbar disc herniation . Of the patients 23 had left-side radiculopathy and 23 right-side radiculopathy .  Driving reaction time as well as back and leg pain were evaluated preoperatively , on the day of discharge from hospital and at the 5-week follow-up examination ( FU ) . 31 healthy subjects were tested as controls . Results Significant improvement in DRT was seen for both patient sample s ( p < 0.05 ) . For patients with a right-side radiculopathy preoperative DRT was 664 ms ( median , IQR : 241 ) , which was reduced to 605 ms ( median , IQR : 189 ) immediately postoperatively and to 593 ms ( median , IQR : 115 ) at FU . For patients with a left-side radiculopathy DRT was 675 ms ( median , IQR : 247 ) preoperatively , 638 ms ( median , IQR : 242 ) postoperatively and 619 ms ( median , IQR : 162 ) at FU . Pain was moderately correlated to DRT . Control subjects had a driving reaction time of 487 ( median , IQR : 116 ) , which differed significantly from patients at all three testing times ( p < 0.001 ) . Conclusion Our data indicate a positive effect of the surgery on driving ability . Therefore , we would suggest that for both patient sample s it is safe to continue driving after hospital discharge . However , patients have to be informed about increased DRT caused by radiculopathy already before surgery
Observer-reported outcome measures showed that patients ’ driving abilities often are impaired when wearing an immobilizing cast above or below the elbow or a shoulder sling on their dominant arm .
Conclusions The available evidence provides a best-case scenario for when patients can return to driving .
Survey data suggest that patients are returning to driving before observer-reported outcome measures have normalized , indicating that physicians should tell patients to wait longer before driving .
Background Patients often ask their doctors when they can safely return to driving after orthopaedic injuries and procedures , but the data regarding this topic are diverse and sometimes conflicting .
Some studies provide observer-reported outcome measures , such as brake response time or simulators , to estimate when patients can safely resume driving after surgery , and patient survey data describing when patients report a return to driving , but they do not all agree .
We performed a systematic review and quality appraisal for available data regarding when patients are safe to resume driving after common orthopaedic surgeries and injuries affecting the ability to drive .
Questions / purpose sBased on the available evidence , we sought to determine when patients can safely return to driving after ( 1 ) lower extremity orthopaedic surgery and injuries ; ( 2 ) upper extremity orthopaedic surgery and injuries ; and ( 3 ) spine surgery .