Life After Rotationplasty: What Patients Report Years Later

Rotationplasty is a surgery where doctors remove a diseased part of the leg and turn the foot around to act as a knee. This study looked at people who had the surgery for bone tumors, mainly sarcoma, between 1980 and 2002 at two hospitals in the Netherlands. Researchers wanted to know how these patients felt many years later.

Thirty-three people took part. Their average age was about 48 years, and they had been followed for roughly 33 years on average. Just over half were women. They answered surveys about physical and mental health, limb function, and how happy they were with their prosthetic device. The average physical health score was 47.1, the mental health score was 52.2, the limb function score was 88.2, and the mobility score was 24.4.

When compared to a group of sarcoma survivors who had other treatments, the rotationplasty group reported better physical health (p<0.01) and better limb function (p=0.01). However, their physical functioning was still lower than that of the general public (p=0.01).

Having a job, being in a relationship, scoring higher on mobility and limb function, feeling satisfied with the prosthetic, and being happy with the surgery itself were all linked to better physical or mental health scores (p<0.05). These findings suggest that rotationplasty can support a good quality of life even decades after the operation.