Return to Work after Surgical Treatment of Osteochondral Defects of the Talus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Kaj S Emanuel, Sophia van Beelen, Jari Dahmen et al.
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In 30 seconds
This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis examined return to work (RTW) after surgery for osteochondral lesions of the talus. Eighteen studies contributed RTW rate and/or timing data for 399 patients. Overall, 93% returned to work; reported time to RTW ranged from 2 to 11 weeks after surgery and varied by technique. Average RTW rates were 96% after arthroscopic procedures and 91% after open procedures. The authors noted that study quality was generally poor and reporting of RTW was heterogeneous.
Key findings
- Across included studies, the overall RTW rate after surgery was 93%.
- Average RTW rates were 96% after arthroscopic procedures and 91% after open procedures.
- Reported time to RTW ranged from 2 to 11 weeks postoperatively and varied across surgical techniques.
Why it matters
RTW is an important outcome for patients undergoing surgery for talar osteochondral lesions, and these pooled findings provide a broad estimate of work resumption and its reported timing. However, heterogeneous reporting and generally poor methodological quality limit confidence in comparisons between procedures and in using the time range to set expectations.
What to keep in mind
The included studies had generally poor methodological quality, and RTW reporting was heterogeneous.