Rehabilitation and quality of life of patients after arthroplasty for malignant bone tumors of the upper limb

Abstract

Arthroplasty is the most widely used surgical technique for bone tumors of the upper limbs. However, it should be noted that the functional outcomes after endoprosthetic reconstruction for malignant bone tumors of the upper limb does not always satisfy patients and often lead to impaired working capacity of patients, and their disability. The need to improve functional outcomes determines the practical and socio-economic significance of the research. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of a complex of rehabilitation measures on the quality of life of patients after surgery with endoprosthetic reconstruction for malignant bone tumors of the upper limb. Material and Methods. The treatment and rehabilitation outcomes in 146 patients were analyzed. There were 88 (60 %) men and 58 (40 %) women with an average age of 47 years (range, 19–75 years). The tumor was localized in the proximal humerus in 98 (67 %) patients, in the diaphysis in 18 (12 %), in bones that make up the elbow joint in 16 (11 %) and in the distal radius in 14 (9.6 %) patients. Results. Our rehabilitation technique improved functional outcomes after endoprosthetic reconstruction for all tumor localizations. The musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score was improved by 10 % (75 vs 65 %) for arthroplasty of the shoulder joint, for the wrist joint by 8 (80 vs 72 %). The rehabilitation technique allowed significant improvement of MSTS score for arthroplasty of the humeral diaphysis and bones making up the elbow joint (from 76 to 95 % and from 68 to 82 %, respectively). Conclusion. Rehabilitation measures play an important role in optimizing quality of life of patients after surgical treatment of bone tumors of the upper limb with arthroplasty, helping to improve functional outcomes.