Factors influencing return to work after hip and knee replacement

Background: Return to employment is one of the key goals of joint replacement surgery in the working-age population. There is limited quantitative and qualitative research focusing on return to work after hip and knee replacement. It remains unclear why certain groups of patients are not able to achieve sufficient functional improvement to allow productive return to work while others can. Very little is known about the individual patient and employer perspectives in this regard. Aims: To review current evidence for the factors influencing employment outcomes in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement. Methods: Original articles and reviews in Medline, Embase and PsycINFO from 1987 to 2013 were included in the analysis. Results: Age, patient motivation, employment before surgery and type of job were found to be important factors in determining return to work following hip and knee replacement. Conclusions: There is a need for further qualitative work on how and why these factors influence employment outcomes. Keywords: Arthritis; joint replacement; occupational rehabilitation; qualitative