Safe driving recommendations following lower extremity orthopedic surgery: a systematic review

We analyzed the published literature on return-to-driving (RTD) recommendations following lower extremity orthopedic surgery, including knee and hip arthroplasty and ankle and foot surgery.

We conducted a PubMed MEDLINE database search for the relevant literature spanning from 1988 to 2022. Data were extracted from the selected articles independently by six investigators, and the mean, standard deviation, and range of RTD recommendations for each surgical region and procedure were calculated.

The 34 studies included in our review evaluated brake response time, reaction time, movement time, braking force, and other parameters. Average RTD recommendations in weeks were: hip surgeries, 4.1 (± 2.7); foot surgeries, 6.67 (± 0.94); Achilles surgeries, 6.67 (± 0.25); ankle surgeries, 4 (± 2); knee surgeries, 5.42 (± 0.77); and multiple lower extremity surgeries, 3.85 (± 0.15).

Our findings can assist physicians in providing informed recommendations to patients, promoting safe driving practices, and optimizing postoperative recovery.

Therapeutic, Level III: Retrospective comparative study.