Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41608488›Full record

ArticleWorld journal of orthopedics2026

Return to farming after orthopedic surgery: A systematic review.

Eva Lehtonen, Ruja Kambli, Krishna Mandalia, Kaley Beall, Sarav S Shah

Abstract read
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Article in World journal of orthopedics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Eva LehtonenDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA 02120, United States.
Ruja KambliLarner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
Krishna MandaliaDepartment of General Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, United States.
Kaley BeallDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA 02120, United States.
Sarav S ShahDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA 02120, United States. saravshah1@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere has been an increasing focus in recent years on health-care disparities. Studies investigating return to work (RTW) or sports are often performed in large, urban areas. Relatively few studies have investigated rates of return to farming or other heavy labor that is of interest to patients in rural areas.

aimTo evaluate the literature regarding RTW in farming or heavy labor after orthopedic hip, knee, or shoulder surgery.

methodsA search was performed in the PubMed and EMBASE databases using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies were included if they reported patients employed in farming or heavy labor, RTW rates after orthopedic surgery of the hip, knee, or shoulder, and had a minimum 6-month follow-up. A meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model was performed on three single-arm observational studies to estimate the pooled RTW rate following arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

resultsTen studies were included, and 101 farmers were identified among 440 total patients. One study involved hip surgery, two studies involved knee surgery, and seven studies involved shoulder surgery. RTW rates across studies varied by type of surgery and follow-up interval, ranging from 24% to 100%. The RTW rate was only 53.6% at 1 year following total hip arthroplasty. No studies investigated RTW in farmers following total knee arthroplasty. Among non-comparative studies, meta-analysis revealed a pooled RTW rate of 89% following arthroscopic shoulder surgery, with low heterogeneity (

conclusionThis systematic review highlights the high rates of RTW in farmers and heavy laborers after shoulder surgery. However, our findings also underscore the need for more rural-specific research to guide patient counseling, rehabilitation expectations, and shared decision-making in this underserved population, particularly for orthopedic surgery of the hip and knee.

Indexed as

FarmersHip arthroplastyOrthopedic surgeryReturn to workRural healthShoulder arthroplasty

Identifiers

PMID41608488
PMCPMC12836169

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