Return to Work Outcomes After Common Sports-Related Orthopaedic Procedures: A Systematic Review Stratified by...

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic surgery outcomes
• Occupational health
• Rehabilitation science

Background:

• Return to full-duty work (RTW) is a key outcome after sports orthopaedic surgery.
• Current reporting is inconsistent and often lacks occupational context.

Purpose of the Study:

• Synthesize full-duty RTW outcomes for common sports orthopaedic procedures.
• Analyze time to RTW and outcomes by occupational intensity and workers' compensation (WC) status.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of civilian studies (PRISMA guidelines).
• Included procedures: meniscectomy, meniscal repair, ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, distal biceps repair, biceps tenodesis, hip arthroscopy.
• Calculated pooled full-duty RTW rates and summarized median time to RTW.

Main Results:

• Pooled full-duty RTW rates >90% for meniscectomy, meniscal repair, ACL reconstruction, and distal biceps repair.
• Rates ranged from 74.2% to 76.7% for biceps tenodesis, rotator cuff repair, and hip arthroscopy.
• Median RTW time varied from 33 days (meniscectomy) to 185 days (rotator cuff repair).
• Workers' compensation (WC) and higher occupational intensity correlated with longer RTW.

Conclusions:

• Full-duty RTW outcomes differ significantly by surgical procedure.
• Longer rehabilitation procedures show lower RTW rates and longer timelines.
• Standardized reporting of occupational intensity, RTW definitions, and WC status is crucial for future research and clinical guidance.