Return to car driving is safe 6 weeks after operative treatment of right ankle fractures

Background There is no clear consensus on when patients with surgically treated right ankle fractures can return to car driving, or how best to assess their fitness to drive. Through a rigorous driving assessment program consisting of both off-road and on-road tests, we aim to determine if these pat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery 2018-12, Vol.138 (12), p.1691-1697
Main Authors: Ho, Sean W. L., Yam, Michael, Chan, M. L., Kwek, Ernest B. K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Ankle
Ankle Fractures - surgery
Automobile driving
Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Fracture Fixation, Internal - methods
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Orthopedics
Patient Safety - statistics & numerical data
Prospective Studies
Questionnaires
Reaction Time
Recovery of Function
Surgery
Surveys and Questionnaires
Time Factors
Trauma Surgery
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Summary:Background There is no clear consensus on when patients with surgically treated right ankle fractures can return to car driving, or how best to assess their fitness to drive. Through a rigorous driving assessment program consisting of both off-road and on-road tests, we aim to determine if these patients are able to pass a standard driving test, even before weight bearing has been initiated. Methods A prospective grant-funded (Supported by AOTrauma Asia Pacific Ref: AOTAP12-17) clinical study was conducted. Patients aged 25–65 years who underwent surgery for right ankle fractures and held a valid motorcar driving license were recruited in a single institution from 2013 to 2015. The surgeon and a specialist occupational therapist assessed the patients at 2, 6 and 12 weeks post-surgery. A Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) Questionnaire was administered and the brake reaction time was measured using a driving simulator. Patients who met the minimal criteria were then subjected to a full on-road driving test in a real-world environment with a driving instructor. A follow-up telephone questionnaire was administered at least 6 months after return to driving to determine if patients had returned to driving safely. Results A total of 23 patients (8 females, 15 males) were recruited. The mean age was 42.8 (± 12.9) years. There was a significant improvement in the SMFA ( p  
ISSN:0936-8051
1434-3916
DOI:10.1007/s00402-018-3037-3