title: Trajectories of quality of life in patients with traumatic limb injury: a 2-year follow-up study.
abstract: Traumatic limb injury (TLI) can have a negative impact on a patient's quality of life (QOL), and the patient's QOL may fluctuate over time. However, the longitudinal change patterns of QOL in patients with TLI are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the QOL trajectories in patients with TLI in 4 QOL domains: physical capacity, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environment.
  
  
  
  The patients' QOL was assessed within 14 days and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after injury. In each QOL domain, 4 latent growth curve models (LGMs, including non-growth, linear growth, quadratic growth, and cubic LGM) were adopted to examine the QOL trajectories across the 6 time points.
  
  
  
  A total of 499 patients completed the 6 assessments. For all 4 QOL domains, the cubic LGM had the best model fitting (root-mean-square error of approximation < 0.01) revealing that the patients' 4 QOL domains changed with cubic trajectories: QOL improved in the first 6 months, deteriorated in the second 6 months, and improved smoothly at 12-24 months after injury.
  
  
  
  This study found that the trajectories in the 4 QOL domains were cubic trajectories in patients with TLI. These findings indicate that clinicians should pay additional attention to improve the patients' QOL in the first 6 months after injury and to prevent or reduce QOL deterioration at 6-12 months.
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Gong-Hong
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, Chung Shan Medical University, and Occupational Therapy Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Shian
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, E-Da Hospital/I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Shiung
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Master Program in Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, No. 250, Wuxing St., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City, 110, Taiwan. houwh@tmu.edu.tw.|School of Gerontology and Health Management, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. houwh@tmu.edu.tw.|Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. houwh@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Wen-Hsuan
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005121:Extremities / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Follow-up studies; Limb injury; Quality of life