Functional rehabilitation and long‑term efficacy of rotationplasty in pediatrics: A retrospective study

Rehabilitation plays a critical role in the functional recovery of pediatric patients following rotationplasty for lower extremity malignant bone tumors. However, due to the limited number of cases and the unique characteristics of the surgery, there is a paucity of studies that have longitudinally evaluated the effect of rehabilitation strategies on long-term functional recovery after rotationplasty. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify an effective rehabilitation approach for pediatric patients undergoing rotationplasty for malignant bone tumors of the lower limb. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the effect of rehabilitation on long-term functional recovery and quality of life. A total of 12 patients were included in the current study, with a mean age at surgery of 6.58±1.73 years (range, 4-10 years). These patients underwent rotationplasty for malignant bone tumors of the lower extremity at the Fourth Medical Center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital (Beijing, China) between March 2014 and March 2019. After surgery, patients underwent a 6-month postoperative rehabilitation programme, either on an outpatient or inpatient basis, with exercise therapy as the key training modality. The follow-up outcomes at 3, 6 and 12 months and at 3 and 5 years were recorded and analyzed, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of long-term progress. The results demonstrated a gradual enhancement in functional performance and quality of life. Within a year of surgery, the patients displayed significant improvements in both functional recovery and quality of life, and all indicators remained stable 1 year later compared with those at 1 year post-surgery. More specifically, patients showed restored muscle strength and walking ability to normal levels, with a significant increase in muscle strength to 5/5. In addition, the study revealed that the mean distance covered in the 6-min walk test was 403.08±12.52 meters, while a duration of 8.83±0.72 sec was recorded in the timed up and go test. All patients have been continuously monitored up to date. The follow-up period for all patients ranged from 60 to 120 months, with a mean of 89.83±17.55 months. Overall, the findings indicated that the early postoperative period was a critical period for functional recovery, and that early postoperative rehabilitation interventions resulted in significant improvements to the rate and quality of functional recovery over time, thus further improving quality of life.