Frontline of Orthopedics

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KEEP YOUR CAST INSIDE THE MOVING VEHICLE

5 FACTS: DRIVING AFTER INJURY

December 26, 2013

One goal of orthopedic doctors is to help their patients return to their normal lives as soon as possible after an injury. Following common injuries like a broken wrist or a broken ankle, patients inevitably as the question "When can I start driving?"

The decision of when it is safe faces many legal and safety issues, and is also dependent on many factors such as the location and severity of a person's injury.

1) THERE IS NO CATCH-ALL ANSWER

Currently there are no established guidelines for determining safety to drive after an injury. But a few things have been studied and were recently reviewed in the orthopedic journal JAAOS. The information in that article and its review in this blog entry is not intended as advice but rather information to use when talking with your surgeon.

2) YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY STOP TO BE A SAFE DRIVER

It has been found that different surgeries require different rehab periods for this function to return. 1. Knee arthroscopy (for example to repair a meniscus tear) takes about 4 weeks, while surgery to repair an ankle fracture takes about 9 weeks, a major lower extremity fracture (like a leg bone fracture) requires 6 weeks after starting to walk on it, and a total hip replacement or total knee replacement takes about 4-6 weeks.

3) IT DEPENDS ON THE BRACE

Patients should never drive with a cast, splint, or brace on their right leg (regardless of the injury). However there was not obvious impairment with driving using a below knee cast on the left leg.

Patients should not drive with a cast, splint, brace on their arm if the cast incorporates the elbow (the arm is completely immobilized)...However driving is permissible in patients that have a cast/splint/brace of the forearm (with the elbow free to move).

4) PAIN MEDICATION CAUSES IMPAIRMENT

Patients should not drive while taking narcotic pain medication (such as Percocet, Vicoden, Oxycodene, OxyContin, MS Contin, etc). It slows reaction time. This slows total break time.

5) PATIENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN DRIVING

Although doctors can help with advice to patients, ultimately, the legal system places patients as the responsible party for when it is ok to drive.