A new study suggests stopping time may be hindered for weeks after knee replacement surgery, so when is it safe for a person to drive after undergoing a knee replacement operation?
The study published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation found that a person who undergoes knee replacement surgery on their right knee, the leg most often used to brake and accelerate, may impair emergency braking for over a month. Interestingly, researchers also noted that replacement surgery on your left side could also inhibit your ability to make a quick stop.
Pain on the operated side can inhibit muscle reflexes on both “the operated and nonoperated side,” researchers concluded.
Safe to Drive After Knee Surgery
To get a better understanding of how knee surgery impacts your ability to stop a moving vehicle, researchers in Germany recruited 40 individuals between the age of 36 and 86 who had recently undergone a total knee arthroplasty. Half of the patients underwent the operation on their right knee, while the other half had the replacement operation on their left knee. Researchers recorded a patient’s reaction time and braking ability in an automatic transmission driving simulator before the operation, and four times after the surgery. The driving test involved hitting the gas until they saw a red light, which meant they needed to come to a quick stop.
After examining the test results, researchers discovered:
- Eight days after surgery, patients with right-knee replacement had a 30 percent slower braking time than their pre-surgery braking time. At eight days, braking time was only reduced by 2 percent in patients with left-knee replacements.
- Braking force decreased 25-35 percent in both groups a week after surgery, and gradually increase over a year.
- Braking force reached preoperative levels in the left-knee group after 12 weeks.
Dr. Silverman comments
This is an interesting study that shows that our reaction time and braking force is reduced when we go under the knife for knee replacement surgery, even if the operation occurs on our non-driving leg. Most patients can get back behind the wheel after a right knee replacement operation 4-6 weeks after the surgery, and most people who have the operation on their left leg can get back behind the wheel in a week or two. Speak to your doctor for your specific instructions.
That said, just because you can drive doesn’t mean sure should drive like you did before the operation. The study clearly shows that braking force is diminished for at least three months after the operation, so give yourself plenty of braking room when driving after surgery. Also, it doesn’t hurt to take a few laps around the block to get used to driving on your new knee before you hit the highway. If you feel pain or have difficultly pressing the brake, let someone else drive and give your new knee more time to heal.
Related source: Wall Street Journal
