Pilots After Shoulder Surgery and Rehabilitation in a Dedicated Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Unit of a Major Airline Returned to Work Earlier When Compared to Standard Rehabilitation by External Providers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the time to return to work (RTW) for pilots who underwent shoulder surgery and underwent rehabilitation within a dedicated musculoskeletal rehabilitation (MSK) unit of a major airline to a group of pilots who had standard rehabilitation and to calculate cost savings.

Methods: The database of Emirates Airline was searched for all ICD-10 codes relating to shoulder pathology. Pilots who had shoulder surgery between January 2017 and June 2021 were included.