title: Driving reaction time before and after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
abstract: Driving reaction time was studied in 73 patients under anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a computer-linked automobile simulator. Each patient was tested pre-operatively and 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after surgery. Stepping and standing tests were studied at each time point. Twenty-five normal subjects were also tested as controls. Pre-operative test results did not differ significantly between groups on any of the tests. Post-operatively it took 6 weeks for driving reaction time of the right ACL group to be equivalent to that of the controls, compared to 2 weeks in the left ACL group. There was a strong correlation between the stepping and standing tests and the driving reaction time; this made them good clinical tests to monitor patients' progress and to suggest the appropriate time to resume driving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination; D001334:Automobile Driving; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003289:Convalescence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012449:Safety; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation; D013997:Time Factors