A holistic perspective of patients' lives post-Ilizarov external fixation.
BACKGROUND
The Ilizarov external fixator (IEF) is used in the treatment of complicated fractures with severe soft tissue damage. Despite advantages of being minimally invasive and allowing early weight-bearing, the IEF has limitations, including size, treatment duration and crucial pin-site care. Many patients showed enormous resilience despite the devastating effects of their injuries. Our aim was to assess the value of IEF treatment for trauma patients with a focus on their quality of life.


METHODS
A postal survey was administered to 89 patients treated with an IEF at a level 1 trauma centre between January 2000 and June 2009. An SF-12 health survey was incorporated to measure quality of life. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis of the data.


RESULTS
The response rate was 73%. The majority of patients (77%) were treated with IEF for primary fractures. The median duration in IEF was 174 days (56-614 days). The SF-12 mean mental component score was 51 (16-66) and the mean physical component score was 38 (16-57) at the time of survey. The mental component score was similar to that of a normal population but the physical component score was markedly below. A total of 96.8% respondents were satisfied with the IEF treatment and 91.7% reported that under the same circumstances they would have the same treatment again.


CONCLUSIONS
Patient's quality of life scores correlated directly with their injury severity and pre-existing conditions. They were not negatively affected by IEF treatment itself. High quality of life scores (non-physical) were achieved with IEF treatment.
Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Dominik
D
Baschera
Doug
D
Kingwell
Michael
M
Wren
René
R
Zellweger
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D018889:Ilizarov Technique; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Ilizarov; external fixator; outcome; quality of life