title: A prospective study on quality of life and functional outcome in children and adolescents after malignant bone tumor surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few longitudinal data are available concerning quality of life (QoL) and functioning of young patients undergoing surgical procedures for malignant bone tumors around the knee joint. Aim of the present study was to evaluate patients' quality of life, functional ability, and physical activity during a 2-year postoperative period.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included patients who underwent surgery for a malignant bone tumor around the knee joint between 2004 and 2008. Assessments were done at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery. QoL was measured with the TNO-AZL Children's or Adult's Quality of Life Questionnaires (TACQOL and TAAQOL), the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Bone tumor (Bt)-DUX; functional ability with the Toronto Extremity Salvage Scale (TESS), the 6-minute walk test (6 MWT) and four functional performance tests; and physical activity with the Baecke questionnaire and the ActiLog® activity monitor. Statistical analysis included linear mixed model analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four patients (27 males, 17 females, mean age 14.9 (SD 4.8) years) were included, 27 (61%) underwent limb-salvage and 17 (39%) ablative surgery. Twenty patients were lost during the 2 years follow-up as a consequence of oncological complications. Over the first year, survivors showed significant improvement of QoL, functional ability and physical activity, except for the mental dimension of the SF-36 and the activity monitor results. Over the second year, these improvements were less pronounced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the first 2 years after bone tumor surgery, survivors improved significantly with respect to QoL, functional ability, and physical activity levels.
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. W.P.Bekkering@LUMC.NL
authors: W Peter
authors: WP
authors: Bekkering
authors: Theodora P M
authors: TP
authors: Vliet Vlieland
authors: Hendrik M
authors: HM
authors: Koopman
authors: Gerard R
authors: GR
authors: Schaap
authors: Auke
authors: A
authors: Beishuizen
authors: Jacob K
authors: JK
authors: Anninga
authors: Ron
authors: R
authors: Wolterbeek
authors: Rob G H H
authors: RG
authors: Nelissen
authors: Antonie H M
authors: AH
authors: Taminiau
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D017741:Survivors