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Does limb-salvage surgery offer patients better quality of life and functional capacity than amputation?
Farbod Malek1, Jeremy S Somerson, Shannon Mitchel
1Department of Orthopaedics, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
Introduction:
Patients with aggressive lower extremity musculoskeletal tumors may be candidates for either above-knee amputation or limb-salvage surgery. However, the subjective and objective benefits of limb-salvage surgery compared with amputation are not fully clear.
Questions/Purposes:
We therefore compared functional status and quality of life for patients treated with above-knee amputation versus limb-salvage surgery.
Methods:
We reviewed 20 of 51 patients aged 15 years and older treated with above-knee amputation or limb-salvage surgery for aggressive musculoskeletal tumors around the knee between 1994 and 2004 as a retrospective cohort study. At last followup we obtained the Physiological Cost Index, the Reintegration to Normal Living Index, SF-36, and the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score questionnaires. The minimum followup was 12 months (median, 56 months; range, 12-108 months).
Results:
Compared with patients having above-knee amputation, patients undergoing limb-salvage surgery had superior Physiological Cost Index scores and Reintegration to Normal Living Index. The Toronto Extremity Salvage scores and SF-36 scores were similar in the two groups.
Conclusion:
These data suggest that limb-salvage surgery offers better gait efficiency and return to normal living compared with above-knee amputation, but does not improve the patient's perception of quality of life.
