title: Return to work after total hip and knee arthroplasty: results from a clinical study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to measure return to work and duration until return to work in patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA). This prospective study included patients under 65 years of age, undergoing THA or TKA, who provided information on their work status preoperatively (paid work yes/no and working hours) and 1 year thereafter (paid work yes/no, working hours and time until return to work). Seventy-one THA and 64 TKA patients had a paid job preoperatively. The employment rates 1 year postoperatively were 64/71 (90 %) after THA and 53/64 (83 %) after TKA. Of those who returned to work, 9/64 (14 %) of THA patients and 10/53 (19 %) of TKA patients worked less hours than preoperatively [mean decrease of 16 (SD 11.5) and 14 (SD 13.0) hours, respectively]. The mean time to return to work was 12.5 (SD 7.6) and 12.9 (SD 8.0) weeks in THA and TKA, respectively. The majority of working patients who underwent THA or TKA returned to work, after approximately 12 weeks. A considerable proportion of the patients returning to work worked less hours than preoperatively. More research into patients who do not return or decrease their working hours is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics J11, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands. c.tilbury@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tilbury
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics J11, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands. C.S.Leichtenberg@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Leichtenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Alrijne Hospital, Leiderdorp, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Tordoir
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics J11, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Holtslag
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Alrijne Hospital, Leiderdorp, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S H M
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Verdegaal
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kroon
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics J11, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R G H H
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Nelissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics J11, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T P M
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Vliet Vlieland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062707:Return to Work; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Arthroplasty; Employment; Sick leave; Total hip; Total knee; Work