Anticipating Time Taken off Work After Bernese Periacetabular Osteotomy: A Single-Surgeon Experience of 282 Cases

Expected time off work is a common question from patients undergoing periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) as most are of working age. Planning for financial and social impacts plays an important role when considering PAO. No previous studies have reported on the time taken to return to work following PAO. The aim of this study was to quantify the amount of time taken off work following PAO.

Patients who had responded to questions asking about their return to work from the Northumbria Hip Preservation Unit patient-reported outcomes database were included. In addition to time taken to return to work, demographic data, EuroQol 5-dimension (EQ-5D) visual analog scale, EQ-5D index, University of California, Los Angeles activity, non-arthroplasty hip score, and International hip outcome tool-12 scores before and after surgery were collected.

In total, there were responses for 282 PAO procedures performed. Time taken to return to work ranged from 0 weeks to 208 weeks. The median time reported to return to work was 16 weeks (interquartile range: 12-22 weeks). Preoperative EQ-5D visual analog scale and EQ-5D index scores moderately correlated to weeks till return. University of California, Los Angeles activity and non-arthroplasty hip score were only weak correlations. One year postoperatively, there was only a weak correlation between patient-reported outcome measure scores and the time taken to return to work, though all were significant (P < .05).

Based on the findings, we would advise prospective PAO candidates that the average time taken to return to work after PAO was 16.5 weeks with the majority (85%) having returned by 6 months. It was also noted that poorer preoperative and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures significantly correlated weakly with an extended period away from work.