Mapping the Course of Recovery Following Limb-Salvage Surgery for Soft-Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities.

Background: Despite the goal of an acceptable functional result, the surgical treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma can portend a prolonged course of recovery. More comprehensive data on the expected course of recovery following extremity sarcoma surgery are needed to help to inform physicians and patients. The purpose of the present study was to describe the typical course of functional recovery following limb-salvage resection of a soft-tissue sarcoma and to identify factors associated with a delayed postoperative course of recovery.

Methods: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained institutional database was performed for all patients undergoing surgical treatment with limb salvage of a soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities or pelvis with at least 1 year of follow-up after the definitive surgical procedure. All patients were required to have preoperative functional outcomes recorded for either the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) or the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score and functional outcome measures at 1 year postoperatively. The primary outcome measures were time to recovery and maximal functional improvement.

Results: In this study, 916 patients met inclusion criteria following surgical resection of a soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities. The median follow-up was 74 months. Patients typically achieved a return to their baseline preoperative level of function for all functional outcome measures by 1 to 2 years and achieved maximal functional recovery by 2 years postoperatively. Older age, female sex, deep tumor location, larger tumor size, pelvic location, osseous resection, motor nerve resection, free and/or rotational soft-tissue coverage, and postoperative complications were independently associated with worse TESS and/or MSTS scores (p ≤ 0.05). Tumor recurrence was associated with worse functional outcomes scores. An analysis was performed to determine which patients had a prolonged course of recovery (i.e., were considered to still be recovering). Older age, female sex, larger tumor size, osseous resection, and motor nerve resection were associated with a delayed course of recovery (p ≤ 0.04). Complications and tumor recurrence were associated with delayed functional recovery across all domains.

Conclusions: Most patients will achieve maximal recovery by 2 to 3 years following surgical resection for soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities. Older age, female sex, larger tumor size, osseous resection, motor nerve resection, postoperative complications, and tumor recurrence portend poorer functional outcomes and a delayed course of recovery.

Level of evidence: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.