Quality of life in young patients after bone tumor surgery around the knee joint and comparison with healthy controls.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to compare the health related quality of life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents after malignant bone tumor surgery of the leg with healthy controls.


METHODS
Patients between 8 and 25 years old were cross-sectional recruited. Patients under 16 years of age received the TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) and AZL (Leiden University Medical Center) Children's Quality of Life Questionnaire (TACQOL), patients aged 16 years and older received the TNO-AZL Questionnaire for Adult's Quality of Life (TAAQOL) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Three age- and sex-matched normative random samples, drawn from large, nationwide studies, were used for the comparison with healthy controls. Patients were interviewed regarding their most important problems related to the disease and its treatment.


RESULTS
Eighty-one patients with a mean age of 16.9 years (SD 4.2) were included (41 female). Limb sparing surgery was executed in 38 patients, ablative surgery in 43 patients. In comparison with healthy controls, patients had significantly poorer HRQoL within the domains autonomy and motor function of the TACQOL, gross motor function, cognitive functioning, daily functioning and sexuality of the TAAQOL, and physical functioning, role physical, general health, and the physical and mental component summary scales of the SF-36. Patients reported limitations in physical activities, participation in sports, and cosmetic aspects as the most detrimental consequences of their disease and its treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
In children and adolescents who underwent surgery for a malignant tumor of the leg physical, functioning was significantly impaired as compared to healthy controls.
Bekkering
W Peter
WP
Department of Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. w.p.bekkering@lumc.nl
Vliet Vlieland
Theodora P M
TP
Koopman
Hendrik M
HM
Schaap
Gerard R
GR
Schreuder
H W Bart
HW
Beishuizen
Auke
A
Tissing
Wim J E
WJ
Hoogerbrugge
Peter M
PM
Anninga
Jacob K
JK
Taminiau
Antonie H M
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery