Retorno al trabajo y a la conducción siguiente a la artroscopia subacromial. (I)

Damian McClelland, * Anastasios Paxinos and Ronald M. Dodenhoff*

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 ConstantMurley 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 ConstantMurley scores were 47.5 (2067). At 3 weeks postoperation average ConstantMurley scores were 66.8 (4092), and at 3 months 76.5 (4899).