Abstract
Background and Purpose. External hemipelvectomy (EHP) is a rare procedure performed as a treatment for tumors of the pelvis, which often results in extensive impairments and limitations to a patient’s functional independence. The purpose of this case report is to describe the outpatient physical therapy (PT) management for a patient with EHP due to undifferentiated spindle-cell sarcoma of the pelvis. Case Description. The patient was a 36 year-old male who underwent right EHP due to undifferentiated spindle-cell sarcoma of the pelvis. The patient attended 12 visits of pre-prosthetic and 28 visits of post-prosthetic outpatient PT. Outcomes. After 40 visits of outpatient PT the patient had significant improvements in functional mobility as assessed by the Boston AM-PAC Basic Mobility Outpatient Short Form and was able to ambulate 430 feet with no assistive device. Discussion. This case report provides an account of outpatient PT management and prosthetic training for a patient with EHP, including multiple challenges experienced during the rehabilitative process including post-amputation pain, prosthetic fit, and the influence of psychosocial factors and patient comorbidities.