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This long-term study protocol aims to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with severe lower limb trauma undergoing orthoplastic and orthopedic surgeries, focusing on their physical and psychological status. Patients with lower limb injuries and open fractures have been recruited since October 2019 and will be followed up until October 2024. The patients will be divided into two groups: (1) Orthoplastic group, where single-stage debridement, fixation, and soft tissue repair will be performed, and (2) Orthopedic group, where soft tissue repair will be done in a delayed-stage. The follow-up period will be one year, during which clinical data, limb function recovery, psychological scores, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) will be evaluated to assess postoperative recovery and clinical outcomes. Additional clinical data, such as socio-demographic information, baseline features, Enneking score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, two-point discrimination score, and blood test parameters will also be collected. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) will be used to evaluate HRQOL, while the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) will assess the severity of self-reported post-traumatic stress disorder. The results of this study will provide valuable insights into prognostically relevant targets and contribute to improving the management and outcomes of patients with lower limb injuries and open fractures, who often face challenges related to limb disability and potential amputation postoperatively, significantly impacting their psychological and physical well-being.
Zhao et al. (Tue,) studied this question.