Is it safe to drive with my arm in a cast?

Authors of article on dangers, considerations for driving

2013-11-04

(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kayee Ip
ip@aaos.org
847-384-4035
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Is it safe to drive with my arm in a cast? Authors of article on dangers, considerations for driving WHO: Orthopaedic surgeons Geoffrey S. Marecek, MD, and Michael F. Schafer, MD, co-authors of a new literature review outlining the potential limitations and necessary precautions for driving after orthopaedic surgery and procedures.

WHY: While the topic can have emotional, legal and public safety implications, there are currently no laws, or well-established insurance or medical guidelines, to help patients and physicians determine when it is definitively safe to drive again following orthopaedic procedures. As a result, many patients drive without consulting their physician, while still on narcotic pain medication, and/or while wearing splints or casts which can significantly impair their ability to drive.

WHAT: "Driving after Orthopaedic Surgery," appears in the November 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS).

Highlights from the literature review include:

Patients should never drive if they are taking narcotic pain medication. The use of both arms is essential to the safe operation of a vehicle. Splints, casts, slings and other devices used for post-surgical immobilization, and the treatment of fractures and dislocations in the upper extremities, may seriously diminish a driver's ability to control the wheel. A lower extremity injury, cast or splint may limit a driver's ability to use a car brake or gas pedal.

HOW: Contact the AAOS public relations department at 847-384-4035 to schedule an interview with Drs. Marecek or Schafer.

### November 1, 2013 Full JAAOS Table of Contents Management of Septic Arthritis Following ACL Reconstruction: A Review of Current Practices and Recommendations Foot Compartment Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management Hip Pathology in the Adolescent Athlete Tendon Transfers for Radial, Median, and Ulnar Nerve Palsy Management of Metastatic Bone Disease of the Acetabulum Driving After Orthopaedic Surgery

For more AAOS news, visit the News Bureau Follow AAOS on Twitter Follow AAOS on Facebook

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

NASA video shows birth and death of Tropical Storm Sonia

2013-11-04

NASA video shows birth and death of Tropical Storm Sonia

Designer piercings: New membrane pores with DNA nanotechnology

2013-11-04

Designer piercings: New membrane pores with DNA nanotechnology A new way to build membrane-crossing pores, using Lego-like DNA building blocks, has been developed by scientists at UCL, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Cambridge and the University ...

NASA saw heavy rain in Typhoon Krosa before it hit wind shear

2013-11-04

NASA saw heavy rain in Typhoon Krosa before it hit wind shear NASA's TRMM Satellite observed heavy rainfall occurring in Typhoon Krosa before it ran into strong wind shear. On Nov. 1, Krosa was a Typhoon that was threatening Hainan Island, China and Vietnam. By Nov. ...

Will the Nagoya Protocol impact your synthetic biology research?

2013-11-04

Will the Nagoya Protocol impact your synthetic biology research? New report looks at impact of the convention on biological diversity on research in the United States WASHINGTON – The United ...

Study shows calm candidates perform better on tests used to screen job applicants

2013-11-04

Study shows calm candidates perform better on tests used to screen job applicants Toronto - Applying for a job can be stressful at the best of times and even more so in today's very competitive job market. For some it is especially daunting ...

Gene responsible for hereditary cancer syndrome found to disrupt critical growth-regulating pathway

2013-11-04

Gene responsible for hereditary cancer syndrome found to disrupt critical growth-regulating pathway CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (November 4, 2013) – Whitehead Institute scientists report that the gene mutated in the rare hereditary disorder known as Birt-Hogg-Dubé ...

Weighing in: 3 years post-op bariatric surgery patients see big benefits, Pitt study says

2013-11-04

Weighing in: 3 years post-op bariatric surgery patients see big benefits, Pitt study says PITTSBURGH, Nov. 4, 2013 – For millions of Americans struggling with obesity and considering surgical procedures to achieve weight loss ...

Community health centers integrate mental and medical services to address care gap

2013-11-04

Community health centers integrate mental and medical services to address care gap WASHINGTON, DC (November 4, 2013)—In recent years, there has been growing recognition that mental health status impacts physical ...

NASA sees strengthening Tropical Storm Haiyan lashing Micronesia

2013-11-04

NASA sees strengthening Tropical Storm Haiyan lashing Micronesia NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Haiyan on Nov. 4 and infrared data showed a large area of powerful thunderstorms affecting Micronesia. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has forecast newborn ...

Penn researchers identify molecular link between gut microbes and intestinal health

2013-11-04

Penn researchers identify molecular link between gut microbes and intestinal health PHILADELPHIA - It's well established that humans maintain a symbiotic relationship with the trillions of beneficial microbes that colonize their ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Cobalt single atom-phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide/perylenetetracarboxylic acid nanosheet heterojunctions for efficiently photocatalytic H2O2 production

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators awards to UCSB experimentalists opens the door to new insights and innovations

Global environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys significantly expand known geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fish, highlighting current biases in conservation and ecological modeling