Premium
Rate of return to work and driving following arthroscopic subacromial decompression
Author(s) -
McClelland Damian,
Paxinos Anastasios,
Dodenhoff Ronald M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2005.03529.x
Subject(s) - medicine , acromioclavicular joint , surgery , arthroscopy , decompression
Background: The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the return to work and return to driving of a cohort of patients undergoing arthroscopic subacromial decompressions ± arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint excision. Methods: Arthroscopic subacromial decompressions ± arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint excision were performed in 68 patients between February 2000 and November 2000. All patients had symptoms of subacromial impingement ± acromioclavicular joint arthrosis for more than 6 months that had not settled with conservative treatment. All had positive local anaesthetic injection tests. All patients were followed up at 3 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Their Constant−Murley score was measured preoperatively and at 3 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Patients were asked to record when they had returned to work and when they had returned to driving. Results: Only one non‐manual worker did not return to work within 6 weeks. Eighty‐five per cent of manual workers returned to manual work within 3 months. Fifty‐one patients held driving licences. The average time to return to driving was 28.9 days. Average preoperative Constant−Murley scores were 47.5 (20−67). At 3 weeks postoperation average Constant−Murley scores were 66.8 (40−92), and at 3 months 76.5 (48−99).