Impact of Social Restrictions During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Functional Recovery After Musculoskeletal Surgery
10.5535/arm.250137
- Author:
Yuki KUROKAWA
;
Satoshi KATO
;
Tamon KABATA
;
Hidenori MATSUBARA
;
Noriaki YOKOGAWA
;
Takaki SHIMIZU
;
Satoru DEMURA
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
2026;50(1):12-21
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the effects of social restrictions imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on postoperative functional recovery in patients who underwent surgery for degenerative musculoskeletal disorders.
Methods:This longitudinal prospective cohort study included 291 patients categorized into pre-pandemic (surgery in 2018), early pandemic (2019), and late-pandemic (2020) groups based on their 1-year recovery period. The primary outcome was improvement in locomotive syndrome (LS) status 1 year after surgery. We analyzed the association between social limitations and LS improvement using multivariate logistic and segmented regression analyses.
Results:The late-pandemic group exhibited the lowest LS improvement rate (50.6%) and the highest prevalence of postoperative social contact limitations (61.0%). Multivariate analysis identified the absence of postoperative social contact limitation as a highly potent independent predictor of LS improvement (odds ratio, 10.01; 95% confidence interval, 5.40–19.34; p<0.01). Segmented regression analysis revealed a time lag: social contact limitations peaked in March 2020, whereas the decline in LS improvement rates began in October 2020.
Conclusion:Prolonged social restrictions negatively impacted functional recovery, particularly during the late phase of the pandemic. Social participation, specifically direct social contact, could be a critical and independent component of postoperative rehabilitation. These findings underscore the need to integrate psychosocial assessments into standard postoperative care to optimize patient outcomes.
