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 .
Rapid Rehabilitation and Recovery with Minimally Invasive Total Hip Arthroplasty
To assess the potential recovery rate of a  minimally invasive total hip replacement technique  with minimal soft tissue disruption , an accelerated rehabilitation protocol was implemented with weightbearing as tolerated on the day of surgery . One hundred consecutive patients were enrolled in this prospect i ve study . Ninety-seven patients ( 97 % ) met all the inpatient physical therapy goals required for discharge to home on the day of surgery ; 100 % of patients achieved these goals within 23 hours of surgery .  Outpatient therapy  was initiated in 9 % of patients immediately , 62 % of patients by 1 week , and all patients by 2 weeks . The mean time to discontinued use of crutches , discontinued use of narcotic pain medications , and resumed driving was 6 days postoperatively . The mean time to return to work was 8 days , discontinued use of any assistive device was 9 days , and resumption of all activities of daily living was 10 days . The mean time to walk ½ mile was 16 days . Furthermore , there were no readmissions , no dislocations , and no reoperations . Therefore , a rapid rehabilitation protocol is safe and fulfills the potential benefits of a rapid recovery with minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty
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 .