Return to driving following surgery to the upper limb: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Traffic Safety

Background:

• Upper limb surgery frequently impacts daily activities, including driving, in active and aging populations.
• Functional impairment after surgery can affect an individual's ability to operate a vehicle safely.
• There is a current absence of established guidelines for returning to driving post-upper limb surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on driving after upper limb surgery.
• To identify factors influencing the ability to drive following upper limb procedures.
• To explore the role of orthoses in functional driving capacity.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review protocol based on PRISMA-Scoping guidelines.
• Systematic searches across multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, etc.) and grey literature.
• Inclusion of all study types, languages (English), and geographical locations, with data presented narratively and graphically.

Main Results:

• The review will synthesize findings from diverse sources to map the current research landscape.
• Identification of studies examining return-to-driving timelines and influencing factors.
• Analysis of the impact of assistive devices or orthoses on driving ability.

Conclusions:

• This review will highlight the current state of knowledge regarding driving post-upper limb surgery.
• Findings will inform the development of much-needed clinical guidelines for safe return to driving.
• The study aims to improve patient safety and functional recovery after upper limb surgery.