title: Trajectory subtypes after injury and patient-centered outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The recent focus on patient-centered outcomes highlights the need to better describe recovery trajectories after injury. The purpose of this study was to characterize recovery trajectory subtypes that exist after non-neurologic injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, observational cohort of 500 adults with an Injury Severity Score > 10 but without traumatic brain or spinal cord injury from 2009 to 2011 was formed. The Short Form-36 was administered at admission and repeated at 1, 2, 4, and 12 mo after injury. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to determine the number and shape of physical composite score (PCS) and mental composite score (MCS) trajectories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three PCS trajectories and five MCS trajectories were identified. For PCS, trajectory 1 (10.4%) has low baseline scores, followed by no improvement over time. Trajectory 2 (65.6%) declines 1 mo after injury then improves over time. Trajectory 3 (24.1%) has a sharp decline followed by rapid recovery. For MCS, trajectory 1 (9.4%) is low at baseline and remains low. Trajectory 2 (14.4%) has a large decrease after injury and does not recover over the next 12 mo. Trajectory 3 (22.7%) has an initial decrease in MCS early, followed by continuous recovery. Trajectory 4 (19.1%) has a steady decline over the study period. Trajectory 5 (34.3%) stays consistently high at all time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recovery after injury is complex and results in multiple recovery trajectories. This has implications for patient-centered clinical trial design and in development of patient-specific interventions to improve outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Center for Outcomes Research in Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. Electronic address: bzarzaur@iupui.edu.
authors.forename: Ben L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zarzaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Center for Outcomes Research in Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Injury; Quality of life; Recovery trajectories; Trauma