Outcome of lower extremity malignancy survivors treated with transfemoral amputation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine outcomes of surviving patients who underwent transfemoral amputation as part of treatment for lower extremity malignancy at a mean 15 years postoperatively, with a minimum 2-year follow-up.


METHODS
Retrospective, case control.


METHODS
Tertiary care university medical center.


METHODS
Thirty-five of 38 consecutively admitted patients free of metastatic disease managed with transfemoral amputation as part of treatment of a lower extremity bone and/or soft tissue malignancy between 1966 and 1997 at 1 institution. The control group included 35 age- and gender-matched subjects recruited from the local driver's license office.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA), Short Form-12 General Health Status Survey (SF-12), physical performance battery, cost, and demographic data.


RESULTS
Controls showed superior scores as measured by the MFA (P < .0001), the physical component summary of the SF-12 (P = .0002), and the physical performance battery (P < .0001), but had inferior scores on the mental component summary of the SF-12 (P < .0001). With the numbers available, no differences were found between study and control subjects in terms of employment rate (P = .51), education level (P = .66), income level (P =.44), marital status (P = .79), incidence of self-reported health problems (P = .14), and alcohol (P =.42) and tobacco (P = .82) use. Ten patients were included in the cost analysis; the mean cost to obtain and maintain a lower extremity prosthesis was $4225 per year (range, 623 dollars-8517 dollars).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the decrease in physical performance was anticipated in the study group, the group differed very little from the control population in terms of employment, education level, income, marital and home status, incidence of self-reported health problems, incidence of self-reported depression, and alcohol and tobacco use. Also, the long-term cost of maintaining a lower extremity prosthesis is noted.
Hoffman
R Dow
RD
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
Saltzman
Charles L
CL
Buckwalter
Joseph A
JA
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001186:Artificial Limbs / Q000191:economics; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017741:Survivors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States