Telerehabilitation versus face-to-face physical therapy for middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tear in China: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.
Jiye He, Caiqi Xu, Lihua Huang and 2 others
PMID 40842229WHAT IT FOUND
Telerehabilitation matched face-to-face physical therapy for knee function and pain in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tears.
Home-based care cost significantly less, though patients needed to be comfortable using a smartphone app.
Key findings
01There was no significant difference in the primary outcome (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) between telerehabilitation and face-to-face therapy at 12 weeks.
02Total costs were significantly lower for the telerehabilitation group, driven by savings in rehabilitation, primary care, and transportation.
03Both groups showed comparable improvements in muscle strength and functional performance, with no significant differences between them.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study required participants to be comfortable using a smartphone app, which limits generalizability to older adults or those with low digital literacy. Follow-up was limited to 24 weeks, so longer-term adherence and re-injury rates are unknown. Patients, physicians, and physical therapists were not blinded to group allocation, which may introduce performance bias. The study was conducted in China, so findings may not directly translate to healthcare systems with different cost structures or access patterns.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and stated there was no financial affiliation with any commercial organization.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume telerehabilitation is suitable for all patients. The study population needed to be comfortable using a smartphone app, and face-to-face therapy may still be preferable for complex cases requiring manual techniques or patients with low digital literacy.