Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38578601›Full record

SynthesisJournal of occupational rehabilitation2025

Effectiveness of Interventions on Work Outcomes After Road Traffic Crash-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Charlotte L Brakenridge, Esther J Smits, Elise M Gane, Nicole E Andrews, Gina Williams, Venerina Johnston

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Charlotte L BrakenridgeRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. c.brakenridge@uq.edu.au.
Esther J SmitsRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Elise M GaneSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Nicole E AndrewsRECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Gina WilliamsTess Cramond Pain and Research Centre, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia.
Venerina JohnstonSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
The University of Queensland · AUPrincess Alexandra Hospital · AURoyal Brisbane and Women's Hospital · AUUniversity of Southern Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMusculoskeletal injuries are common after road traffic crash (RTC) and can lead to poor work-related outcomes. This review evaluated the impact of interventions on work-related (e.g. sick leave), health, and functional outcomes in individuals with a RTC-related musculoskeletal injury, and explored what factors were associated with work-related outcomes.

methodsSearches of seven databases were conducted up until 9/03/2023. Eligible interventions included adults with RTC-related musculoskeletal injuries, a comparison group, and a work-related outcome, and were in English. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan and meta-regressions in Stata.

resultsStudies (n = 27) were predominantly conducted in countries with third-party liability schemes (n = 26), by physiotherapists (n = 17), and in participants with whiplash injuries (94%). Pooled effects in favour of the intervention group were seen overall (SMD = - 0.14, 95% CI: - 0.29, 0.00), for time to return to work (- 17.84 days, 95% CI: - 24.94, - 10.74), likelihood of returning to full duties vs. partial duties (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.36), decreased pain intensity (- 6.17 units, 95% CI: - 11.96, - 0.39, 100-point scale), and neck disability (- 1.77 units, 95% CI: - 3.24, - 0.30, 50-point scale). DISCUSSION: Interventions after RTC can reduce time to return to work and increase the likelihood of returning to normal duties, but the results for these outcomes were based on a small number of studies with low-quality evidence. Further research is needed to evaluate a broader range of interventions, musculoskeletal injury types, and to include better quality work-related outcomes.

Indexed as

Accidents, TrafficMusculoskeletal DiseasesMusculoskeletal SystemReturn to WorkAdultHumansSick LeaveWhiplash InjuriesInterventionsMusculoskeletal injuryOccupational outcomesReturn to workRoad traffic crashWhiplash

Identifiers

PMID38578601
PMCPMC11839784
OpenAlexW4393981189

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.