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Muscle strength and functional recovery for soft-tissue sarcoma of the thigh: a prospective study

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Abstract

Background

This study aimed to investigate changes in muscle strength and functional outcome before and after surgery for soft-tissue sarcoma of the thigh and to examine the timing of recovery.

Methods

From 2014 to 2019, 15 patients who underwent multiple resections of the thigh muscle for soft-tissue sarcoma of the thigh were included in this study. The muscle strength was measured with an isokinetic dynamometer for the knee joint and with a hand-held dynamometer for the hip joint. The functional outcome assessment was based on the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score, Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS), European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), and maximum walking speed (MWS). All measurements were conducted preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively, and the ratio of postoperative to preoperative value was used. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed to compare changes over time and to investigate the recovery plateau. Correlations between changes in muscle strength and functional outcomes were also examined.

Results

The muscle strength of the affected limb, MSTS score, TESS, EQ-5D, and MWS were significantly decreased at 3 months postoperatively. The recovery plateau was subsequently reached at 12 months postoperatively. The changes in muscle strength of the affected limb and functional outcome showed a significant correlation.

Conclusions

The estimated postoperative recovery for soft-tissue sarcoma of the thigh is 12 months after surgery.

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Funding

None of the authors of this manuscript received any type of support, benefits, or funding from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan

    Atsushi Tanaka, Masanori Okamoto, Munehisa Kito, Yasuo Yoshimura, Kaoru Aoki, Shuichiro Suzuki, Akira Takazawa, Yukiko Komatsu, Hirokazu Ideta, Takaaki Ishida & Jun Takahashi

Authors
  1. Atsushi Tanaka
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  2. Masanori Okamoto
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  3. Munehisa Kito
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  4. Yasuo Yoshimura
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  5. Kaoru Aoki
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  6. Shuichiro Suzuki
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  7. Akira Takazawa
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  8. Yukiko Komatsu
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  9. Hirokazu Ideta
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  10. Takaaki Ishida
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  11. Jun Takahashi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masanori Okamoto.

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Tanaka, A., Okamoto, M., Kito, M. et al. Muscle strength and functional recovery for soft-tissue sarcoma of the thigh: a prospective study. Int J Clin Oncol 28, 922–927 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-023-02348-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-023-02348-4

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