Comparison between open and arthroscopic acromioplasties: evaluation of absenteeism

Patrick Kinnard, MD, FRCSC;* Katharina Van Hoef, MD;# Diane Major, MSc;## Richard Lirette, MD, FRCSC+

Canadian Journal of Surgery 1996; 39: 21-23

From Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Université Laval, Quebec, Que.
*Professor and director, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Université Laval
#On exchange from Louvain University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
##Statistician, Université Laval
+Orthopedic surgeon, Université Laval

Paper reprints of the full text may be obtained from: Dr. Patrick Kinnard, Director, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval, 2705, boul. Laurier, Sainte-Foy QC G1V 4G2
See also: Open versus arthroscopic acromioplasty [corresondence]

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the rate of absenteeism from work in patients who had undergone open or arthroscopic acromioplasty.
Design: A retrospective case series.
Setting: A university hospital.
Patients: Eighteen patients with excellent results after open acromioplasty performed by one orthopedic surgeon and 20 patients with excellent results after arthroscopic acromioplasty performed by another orthopedic surgeon.
Main Outcome Measure: The time between operation and return to work.
Results: There were no statistical differences between the two techniques with respect to the return to work, age, sex and type of work. The overall time off work averaged 203 days (range from 42 to 840 days) for the arthroscopic group compared with 144 days (range from 60 to 540 days) for the open group.
Conclusions: Open acromioplasty, a safe and reliable procedure for the general orthopedic surgeon, is associated with a shorter, though not significant, delay in return to work than the arthroscopic technique.
GO TO CJS: Feb. 1996 - GO TO Surgery and orthopedics
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