Return to Driving After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Established guidelines for returning to driving after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are lacking.
• Patient counseling regarding driving post-ACLR requires evidence-based recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on driving ability following ACLR.
• To provide evidence-based guidelines for clinicians to assist patients in their return to driving after ACLR.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were performed using terms related to ACLR and driving.
• Studies reporting functional recovery and return to driving data post-ACLR were included.

Main Results:

• Five studies met the inclusion criteria.
• Brake response time (BRT) normalized at 4-6 weeks for right-sided ACLR (bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft) and 3 weeks for allograft.
• Left-sided ACLR (hamstring tendon autograft) showed normal BRT within 2 weeks, while right-sided ACLR required 6 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Return to driving is influenced by the laterality of ACLR, with left-sided recovery being faster (2-3 weeks) than right-sided (4-6 weeks).
• For manual transmissions, laterality may be less critical, with a 4-6 week recovery period suggested.
• Further research is needed on graft choice and transmission type impacts on driving return post-ACLR.