title: Return to driving after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: patient-reported safety and maneuverability.
abstract: This survey investigated patients' return to driving after rotator cuff surgery, to determine whether pain, weakness, sling use, and narcotics correlate with self-assessed safety and maneuvering. Fifty-four patients (80.6% of those eligible) were surveyed 4 months after surgery. Return to driving ranged widely from same day to 4 months, with two not driving at 4 months; 12% reported narcotics use and 33% reported sling use. Drivers reporting weakness were more likely to feel unsafe (p = .02) and more likely to report difficulty maneuvering (p <.01). Drivers reporting pain were more likely to feel unsafe (p < .01) and more likely to report difficulty maneuvering their vehicle (p < .01). Patient-reported return to driving does not correspond to perceived safety; pain and weakness correspond with feeling unsafe and difficulty maneuvering. Although subjective, clinicians may find these self-assessments predictive when counseling patients on return to driving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: J Joseph
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gholson
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McGlaston
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeAngelis
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramappa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001182:Arthroscopy; D001334:Automobile Driving; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery*; D012449:Safety; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis