Reporting the Pooled Last Follow-up Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score Underestimates Functional Improvements Seen...

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Oncology
• Functional Outcome Assessment

Background:

• The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score is the standard functional outcome tool in Orthopaedic Oncology.
• Current reporting methods lack standardized recommendations, creating a knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review MSTS score reporting methodologies.
• To compare pooled last follow-up versus longitudinal time-based reporting of MSTS scores.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of over 300 articles reporting MSTS scores.
• Paired t-tests comparing pooled last follow-up MSTS scores with longitudinal time-based scores from institutional data.

Main Results:

• 91.6% of studies used pooled last follow-up MSTS scores.
• Pooled scores underestimated MSTS scores at 1 and 3 years post-surgery (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0047).
• Functional improvements in MSTS domains stabilized around 1.8 years post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• The pooled last follow-up method inaccurately represents long-term functional outcomes.
• Longitudinal time-based reporting provides a more precise evaluation of functional recovery in Orthopaedic Oncology patients.