Return to Sport or Military Duty After Lower Extremity Open Fracture: Systematic Review of Athletes and Active Military

Lower extremity open fractures often result in prolonged recovery times and significantly limit RTS or RTD. Although professional athletes demonstrated higher return rates, the outcomes for the general amateur athlete and military populations were substantially poorer. Further research with discrete fracture and treatment details is needed to better understand recovery trajectories for open fractures, disparity in outcomes between professional and amateur athletes, and the influence of resources and motivation on returning to activity.