The impact of musculoskeletal injuries sustained in road traffic crashes on work-related outcomes: a protocol for a systematic review

Background: Musculoskeletal injuries (strains/sprains, contusions, dislocations, and fractures) are the most common injury sustained in a road traffic crash. They can have a long-term impact upon the ability to engage in work. Persisting symptoms as well as poor physical and psychological recovery may reduce the ability to return to or remain at work necessitating the use of sick leave or alternate duties to enable a gradual return to full duties. There is also a need to investigate rates of return to work, along with other work-related outcomes in this population so that interventions designed to facilitate return to work can be targeted to this clinical population. In addition, there is a need to explore factors associated with work-related outcomes in people with musculoskeletal injuries subsequent to a road traffic crash.Methods: A systematic review will be conducted to determine the impact of sustaining a musculoskeletal injury during a road traffic crash on an individual's ability to work. Observational studies will be identified by searching six electronic databases for reports of adults having sustained musculoskeletal injuries during a road traffic crash. Studies featuring paediatric cohorts or those with neurological injuries will be excluded. To be eligible for inclusion, studies must report at least one of the following work-related outcomes: return to work status/rate, sick leave, work ability, work capacity, and health-related work productivity loss. The methodological quality of included studies will be assessed with the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Study Quality Assessment Tools for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies, and case-control studies.Discussion: The results of this systematic review may increase our knowledge of work-related outcomes and understanding of the associated factors for people with musculoskeletal injuries following road traffic crashes. Future studies could use the results to plan interventions and influence policy and legislation, and raise awareness of the needs of this clinical population