The Role of Hand Therapy in Returning to Safe Driving Following an Orthopedic Upper Extremity Injury or Surgery

Authors

Lori Algar, Department of Hand Therapy, Orthopedic Specialty Group
Brenda Tejeda, Sacred Heart UniversityFollow

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

10-2022

Abstract

• Driving is an important daily functional task for many people, but safe driving is often impacted by upper extremity orthopedic injuries.
• It is likely a compliment to a hand therapist's knowledge to understand the current evidence and guidance on returning to safe driving following an orthopedic injury.
• Hand therapists can assist preparedness for return to safe driving by helping to maximize functional range of motion and strength in the upper extremity, performing activity analyses of necessary driving tasks, educating on adaptive equipment options and referring to certified driving specialists when needed.
• Future research is needed on the topic of safe return to driving following an orthopedic upper extremity injury or surgery.

Comments

Available online 1 March 2021.

Brenda Tejeda is a 2020 graduate of the Master's degree program of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University.

PowerPoint slides are available here as an additional file.

DOI

10.1016/j.jht.2021.02.003

PMID

33947612

Recommended Citation

Algar, L., & Tejeda, B. (2022). The role of hand therapy in returning to safe driving following an orthopedic upper extremity injury or surgery. Journal of Hand Therapy, 5(4):552-557. Doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2021.02.003

Publisher

Elsevier