Measuring physical activity in patients after surgery for a malignant tumour in the leg

Abstract

A continuous ambulatory activity monitor allows objective measurement of the amount and intensity of physical activity. We examined the reliability and validity of this device in the assessment of seven aspects of function over a period of 24 hours in 20 patients who had undergone limb salvage or amputation for a tumour in the leg. The test-retest reliability was determined by undertaking identical assessments on two separate days. The measurements were compared with other indicators of functional status and quality of life in order to determine the validity of the monitor. Its reliability was satisfactory, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.65 to 0.91. Significant correlations were seen between the 'time spent walking' and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society rating scales and the Rand-36 physical functioning score. There was also a significant association between the 'movement intensity during walking' and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score. The satisfactory reliability and validity of the monitor shows considerable promise for its use as a device for measuring physical activity objectively in patients after surgery for limb-salvage or an amputation.

Quantity versus quality of gait and quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis

“…Patients scheduled for knee replacement showed a higher level of locomotion and movement intensity compared to COPD patients [21] and amputees [26] and similar duration of locomotion compared to healthy adults [21,22]. However, they displayed lower movement intensities [21].…”

Physical Activity Assessment in Adolescents with Limb Salvage

“…A major limitation of the study was the inaccuracy of the pedometer, which was found to undercount steps by approximately 40%. Van Dam et al 12 used a 3-dimensional accelerometer to document total physical activity and walking over a 24-hour period in 20 patients who had undergone limb salvage surgery and found that their patients spent approximately 5.6% of the 24 hours walking versus standing or sitting.…”

Functional outcome after surgery in patients with bone sarcoma around the knee; results from a long‐term prospective study

“…Since there are no differences in survival rates between limb‐salvage (LS) and ablative surgery (AS), long‐term functional outcome studies have become increasingly important to make a patient specific surgical decision . However, comparability of these studies is complicated because of the use of different research design, different kind of functional tests and questionnaires, various anatomic sites, a wide range of ages and follow‐up …”