Return to Driving Post Total Knee Replacement

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    "Doctor when can I drive?"- Understanding the impact of Total Knee Replacement Surgery on patients and their ability to return to driving.

  • IRAS ID

    299095

  • Contact name

    Vasileios Giannoudis

  • Contact email

    um11vg@leeds.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Leeds

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 1 months, 4 days

  • Research summary

    This study will investigate the return to driving following Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery. There is limited research which has been published in this area, and we hope to be able to provide tools to aid surgeons and health care professionals to in advising their patients on how long they are likely to be unable to drive for. Furthermore, we hope to establish a 'Return to Driving' pathway for those patients who struggle to return to driving in the post operative period.

    The specific aims of this study are:
    1. To establish how long it takes a person undergoing a TKR to return to driving safely?
    2. Can return to driving be assessed/ predicted using a clinical test or patient questionnaire?

    To answer the above, we plan to follow 25 patients from one high volume elective orthopaedic centre from their preoperative TKR journey to their return to driving at regular time intervals.

    6 weeks prior to their operation patients will be approached to participate in this study. If they express an interest they will be sent a patient information leaflet. From this they will attend a consent clinic where they will be consented and 2 preoperative PROMs questionnaires, 1 Pre-operative driving habit questionnaire and pre-operative patient performance measures will be taken.

    After their operation patients will be asked to complete a study questionnaire and undergo a clinical assessment. This assessment will include: 1) PROMs (patient reported outcome measures) questionnaires 2) undertaking a PPM (patient performance measure) and 3) a formal driving safety assessment. The first assessment will occur at 2 weeks post-operatively.

    Participants who are unable/ deemed unsafe to drive will return at 2-week intervals for further assessment until they are able to safely return to driving. Should they be unable to resume driving adaptations can be be facilitated through participation in this study.

  • REC name

    East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    24/EE/0260

  • Date of REC Opinion

    19 Dec 2024

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion