Immersive virtual reality rehabilitation after lower limb surgery in paediatric patients.
Ivan Phelan, Alicia Carrion-Plaza, Penny Jayne Furness and 3 others
PMID 40153270WHAT IT FOUND
Children recovering from lower limb surgery used an immersive VR game to distract themselves while walking.
Anxiety and pain scores dropped significantly after the first session, and patients reported walking further and faster than they thought possible. This is a small pilot study, so it does not prove the game works.
Key findings
01Anticipatory anxiety scores were significantly lower in the second IVR session compared to the first.
02Pain scores were significantly lower at the end of the second session than at the end of the first.
03Patients reported high enjoyment and low difficulty when using the VR system.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This was a small pilot study with only 15 participants and no control group, so it cannot determine if the improvements were due to the VR or natural recovery. No pre-surgical functional measures were taken, so it is unclear how much the patients' walking improved compared to their baseline. The study was single-site and used a bespoke game that is not commercially available. Pain from the hardware (controllers strapped to legs) was reported by some patients.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that VR is proven to improve long-term recovery or functional outcomes. This was a small feasibility study without a control group, so the observed reductions in anxiety and pain may reflect natural recovery or the placebo effect of engaging with new technology.