We aim to establish the likely functional scores following different types of surgery for bone tumours. All living patients who had undergone treatment for a bone tumour were contacted and invited to complete a TESS self-report questionnaire. The TESS contains 32 items of day-to-day activities which the patient scores themselves against. The final score is a percentage, with 100% being ‘normal’. The project was approved by the local ethical committee.

723 responses were obtained from just over 1000 letters that were sent. Thirty seven sets of data were incomplete leaving a total of 686. There were 369 males and 317 females, with an average age of 49 (range 15 to 93). The mean interval from their initial operation was 12 years (range 1 to 42). 590 of the procedures were in the lower limb and 96 in the upper limb. 126 patients had an amputation and 560 limb salvage (82%).

Mean scores obtained for each procedure were: EPR mid-femur 86%; EPR distal femur 77%; EPR proximal tibia 74%; EPR proximal humerus 71%; EPR proximal femur 71%; Below knee amputation 70%; EPR total femur 63%; Disarticulation of the hip 61%; Above knee amputation 60%; Hindquarter amputation 57%; EPR pelvis 54%.

Younger patients had much better scores (80% for those under 30 vs. 69% for those over 30, p< 0.0001) than those over 30. Additionally, the scores for those that had had an amputation following a EPR procedure were no worse than those who had had an amputation originally. Significantly, EPR proximal tibia was better than AKA (78% vs. 67% p = 0.0003), as was EPR distal femur (80% vs. 67% p < 0.0001).

This data from a large series is helpful in indicating likely outcomes following surgical treatment of sarcomas, both for patients and surgeons.