Orthopaedic surgeons specialize in conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopaedic surgeons will work on feet & ankles, hands, hips & knees, shoulders & elbows, limb reconstruction and spine; all of which play a role in driving.
After an orthopaedic procedure, the patient often has limited use of the body part involved. A hand may not be able to grab the wheel or turn signal; the wrist, elbow or shoulder may limit turning ability, an impaired neck my limit their ability to rotate the head; a repaired hip, knee, ankle or foot may impact the ability to properly control the accelerator and brake.
Those that have had a leg or arm amputation can return to driving but typically require vehicle adaptations and practice.
A clinical-based driving simulator provides a tool that therapists can use with their patients during the rehabilitation and re-training period. The surgeon and therapist can effective monitor progress and effectively answer the question: when can I resume driving?
The turn-key CDS clinical driving simulator is based on an actual car – a Ford Focus – giving all parties some face validation. The CDS Scenarios suite of virtual drives provide the OT and the patients a variety of driving situations including residential, suburban, urban, rural, industrial and freeway as well as various lighting (bright sunlight to dark nighttime) and weather conditions (clear, foggy, snowy). The virtual driving scenarios range from simple, adaptation drives and limited complexity to transitional drives that involved multiple real-world driving settings and various environmental factors. There are enough of them to avoid the clients from memorizing them. The driving scenarios are designed in accordance with AASHTO, MUTCD and ADED best practices for delivery of driver rehabilitation services.
The administrative interface is intuitive – the administrator can begin running virtual practice drives immediately. The administrator has the ability to play-back the patients’ practice drives, allowing the OT to point out to the patient the positive and negative behaviors and for the patient to learning and gain additional insight.
A suite of virtual drives involving a variety of common driving situations allows the therapists or clinicians to see their patients in a series of driving environments, from the simple to the complex.
An orthopaedic clinic can benefit from a validated driving simulator. The simulator will enable the medical practice to help provide evaluations and assessments, treatment options, practice for rehabilitating patients. The system will provide added interest into the clinic by patients and their families, researchers, administrators, and the media. It is a new source of clinical revenue that can begin paying back immediately.
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