Return to work following distal triceps repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Distal triceps repair (DTR) is a surgical procedure to address tears in the triceps tendon.
• Understanding the timeline and factors influencing return to work is crucial for patient recovery and occupational reintegration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the rate and duration of return to work for patients who underwent distal triceps repair (DTR).
• To identify factors, such as occupation intensity and workers' compensation status, affecting return to work post-DTR.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing DTR from 2009 to 2017.
• Postoperative assessment included validated questionnaires on work, pain, functional outcomes (Mayo Elbow Performance Score, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand), and patient satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Out of 81 contacted patients, 93.2% returned to work by an average of 2.2 months post-DTR.
• 89.2% returned to their previous occupational intensity level.
• Patients in sedentary and light-intensity occupations returned by 0.3 and 1.8 months, respectively, while medium and high-intensity occupations returned by 2.5 and 4.8 months.
• Workers' compensation patients returned at a lower rate (75%) and longer duration (6.5 months) compared to non-workers' compensation patients (100% by 1.1 months).
• High patient satisfaction (95.9%) and willingness to undergo the procedure again (97.3%) were reported.

Conclusions:

• A high percentage of patients successfully return to work after distal triceps repair, with most returning within 2.2 months.
• Occupational intensity influences the duration of return to work, with higher-intensity jobs requiring longer recovery periods.
• Preoperative counseling on return-to-work expectations is essential for managing patient outcomes after DTR.