TOPIC

Orthopaedic research

Everything we have read on orthopaedic. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

2,015 PAPERS · PAGE 12 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTNarrative Review2020The Role of Physical Therapists in Fighting the Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyNo new study findings are reported. This is a clinical commentary for physical therapists about type 2 diabetes. It summarizes risk, complications, and recommendations, not tested interventions.
• PTOTCase Report2019Limb girdle muscular dystrophy: a case report initially presenting to an outpatient musculoskeletal physiotherapy clinic with spinal pain and functional weakness.Archives of physiotherapyA young woman with long-standing spinal pain and effortful sit-to-stand had normal nerve tests but weakness during functional tasks. MRI showed lumbar paraspinal atrophy, creatine kinase was 3398 IU/L, and limb girdle muscular dystrophy was diagnosed.
• PTOTOther2019Relationship between surface electromyography of the spinae erector muscles and subjectively adjusted step length in the supporting standing-up motion.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy male volunteers lifting a 10 kg doll used a shorter step length to significantly reduce erector spinae muscle activity. This suggests a short step may lower back load during supported standing transfers, but the study used healthy men and a doll, not patients.
• PTOTCohort2019Factors influencing life-space mobility change after total knee arthroplasty in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree months after total knee arthroplasty, life-space mobility scores rose from 59.6 to 72.8 on a 120-point scale. Narrower baseline life space, operative-side quadriceps strength, and walking or stair confidence were associated with life-space scores.
• PTNarrative Review2019Non-specific chronic low back pain in patients with scoliosis-an overview of the literature on patients undergoing brace treatment.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor chronic low back pain in scoliosis, brace evidence is weak and mostly low-quality. The review suggests bracing only after exercise fails, and testing first whether pain is postural or instability-related.
• PTCase Report2019Scheuermann's disease: non-surgical improvement in whole spine sagittal alignment in the treatment of a symptomatic patient using Chiropractic BioPhysics® technique.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne young man with Scheuermann's disease reported complete relief of low back pain and headaches after 35 Chiropractic BioPhysics treatment sessions over 14 weeks. Radiographs showed less forward head translation and thoracic kyphosis. This is one person, not proof the treatment works.
• PTOther2019Does the awareness of having a lumbar spondylolisthesis influence self-efficacy and kinesiophobia? A retrospective analysis.Archives of physiotherapyA diagnosis of spondylolisthesis did not lower confidence in doing activities despite pain or raise fear of movement compared with non-specific low back pain. Pain level was linked to lower confidence and more fear.
• PTMeta-Analysis2019The optimal degree of lateral wedge insoles for reducing knee joint load: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of physiotherapyLateral wedge insoles produced small immediate reductions in medial knee load, with no clear advantage of higher angles. This is a biomechanical result, not proof of pain or function improvement.
• PTRCT2020Comparison of the effectiveness of manual massage, long-wave diathermy, and sham long-wave diathermy for the management of delayed-onset muscle soreness: a randomized controlled trial.Archives of physiotherapyManual massage, real diathermy, and sham diathermy all reduced pain by similar amounts in athletes with muscle soreness. The pain relief was likely due to general treatment effects rather than the specific technique, as sham diathermy worked just as well as the active devices.
• PTOther2020Task-invariance and reliability of anticipatory postural adjustments in healthy young adults.Gait & postureTrunk muscle timing and size during rapid arm and leg raises were reliably measured, but the specific muscle synergy patterns varied between the two tasks. Only a few characteristics, like internal oblique timing and amplitude, stayed the same across both movements.
• PTCohort2020Importance of Outcome Domain for Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain: Characterizing Subgroups and Their Response to Treatment.Physical therapyPatients with musculoskeletal pain were grouped by what they wanted to improve. Those valuing pain and function were more satisfied at 6 months. The group that rated pain as its top priority did not have better pain response, and disability change differed by group.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Altered gait mechanics are associated with severity of chondropathy after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.Gait & posturePatients with moderate-to-severe cartilage damage after hip arthroscopy walked slower with less total limb loading. Those with no or mild damage shifted load away from the hip to the ankle. Neither group reported better function than healthy controls.
• PTCase Report2019The immediate effects of knee flexion range of motion following manual therapy or self-stretching/active range of motion following a total knee arthroplasty: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one man three days after right total knee replacement, knee flexion increased after each technique. Typical joint mobilization showed 10-degree gains. This cannot show which treatment works.
• PTCohort2020Factors Associated With Ambulation in Myelomeningocele: A Longitudinal Study From the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn myelomeningocele, independent walking was more common in younger children and those with motor levels closer to the sacrum. Additional surgeries were linked with less independent walking, especially in people most likely to walk. These associations changed by age.
• PTOther2020Does fatigue expose functional deficits in chronic lateral ankle sprain?Journal of physical therapy scienceFatigue made side-to-side balance worse in people with chronic ankle instability, while jump height fell in both injured and healthy legs. Pre-fatigue balance looked normal, so testing after fatigue may reveal hidden instability.
• PTOTOther2020An Internet-Based Consumer Resource for People with Low Back Pain (MyBackPain): Development and Evaluation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesThis paper describes the creation of a consumer website for low back pain. It details how patients and experts shaped the content. It does not report results from the trial testing whether the website improves health or literacy.
• PTOther2020Effects of resistance exercise using the elastic band on the pain and function of patients with degenerative knee arthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults with knee arthritis who added elastic band exercises to physical therapy reported less pain and better daily function after four weeks than those who had physical therapy alone. The band group also received physical therapy, so the band alone is not proven.
• PTOther2020Reconstruction of the lower limb bones from digitised anatomical landmarks using statistical shape modelling.Gait & postureShape models did not clearly beat simple scaling for adult lower limb bone reconstruction. Surface errors were on average smaller, but hip centre estimates were not clearly better.
• PTOther2020Monitoring of the human body and brain behavior using optical motion capture system and EEG utilizing horseback riding simulator: an extended case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceProfessional riders moved their pelvis more smoothly than non-professional riders on a horseback riding simulator. Brain activity was recorded in one rider. This is a prototype observation, not evidence that riding therapy works.
• PTOTOther2020Burden and Patterns of Multimorbidity: Impact on Disablement in Older Adults.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA higher count of chronic conditions was linked to worse strength, walking, activity and participation in older adults with mobility problems. Specific disease patterns were not linked to these outcomes. The count may be more useful than the condition mix.
• PTRCT2020Virtual reality distraction induces hypoalgesia in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDuring one pelvic tilt exercise session, chronic low back pain patients who played nonimmersive VR games reduced pain 2.20 points more than controls on a 0 to 10 scale, and reduced pain 1.31 points more immediately after, and thought less about pain.
• PTOther2020Effectiveness of a Home-Based Rehabilitation Program After Total Hip Arthroplasty Driven by a Tablet App and Remote Coaching: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial Combining a Single-Arm Intervention Cohort With Historical Controls.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesFor 15 patients after hip replacement, a 12-week home exercise program using a tablet app, weekly physiotherapist calls, and three home visits was associated with faster walking and sit-to-stand than usual care; overall patient-reported scores were slightly higher but not clearly better.
• PTOther2020Peak torque substantially varies between patients with non-specific low back pain; belong to directional preference classification, and healthy individuals-clinical biokinesiologic perspectives.Journal of physical therapy scienceMen with chronic non-specific low back pain had lower trunk flexion torque than healthy men, while extension torque did not differ overall; both groups showed higher extension torque at 60°/sec than 120°/sec.
• PTOther2020Correlation between radiographic sagittal alignment, range of motion, muscle strength, and quality of life in adults with spinal deformities.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn adults with spinal deformities, most measured links between spine alignment, movement, strength and quality of life were not found. A few links appeared, but some key measures were done in only 9 participants, so this cannot change practice alone.
• PTSurvey2020Fact-finding survey regarding judo-related injuries of judokas in developing country.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong Mongolian youth judokas, 39% reported current injuries and 25% reported past injuries. Shoulder and ankle injuries were most common, primarily resulting from throwing techniques. This descriptive survey identifies injury patterns but does not test interventions.
• PTNarrative Review2020Does low back pain or leg pain in gluteus medius syndrome contribute to lumbar degenerative disease and hip osteoarthritis and vice versa? A literature review.Journal of physical therapy scienceGluteus medius trigger points are described as a common source of low back, leg and hip pain, often alongside greater trochanteric pain, lumbar degeneration and hip osteoarthritis. Hip abductor therapy is suggested, not proven.
• PTOTCase-Control2020The influence of trunk muscle strength on walking velocity in elderly people with sarcopenia.Journal of physical therapy scienceElderly people with sarcopenia walked significantly slower than those without, despite having similar leg strength. Their trunk extension strength was markedly lower, and they walked with a more forward-leaning posture. Assessing trunk strength may help explain slow walking in sarcopenia.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2020Physical therapy prehabilitation on a reverse total shoulder replacement candidate: a case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceA single patient with severe shoulder pain and a recommended replacement surgery completed five weeks of physical therapy exercises. He reported improved mobility and pain relief, leading him to indefinitely postpone the operation.
• PTRCT2020The effectiveness of Kinesio Taping® for mobility and functioning improvement in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationKinesio Taping did not improve knee osteoarthritis symptoms, daily function, sport function, quality of life, range of motion, gait speed or sit-to-stand more than non-specific taping. Both groups improved after four weeks and at one-month follow-up.
• PTPilot2020A user-friendly clinical practice guideline summary for managing low back pain in South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyEleven South African physiotherapists rated a two-page low back pain guideline summary as acceptable, appropriate and easy to use. It did not test whether following the summary improves patient outcomes.
• PTOther2020Comparison of effects of joint flexibility on the lumbo-pelvic rhythm in healthy university students while bending the trunk forward.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy university students with poor flexibility bent forward using more lumbar spine motion and less hip motion than students with normal flexibility, and lower back and hamstring muscle activity stopped at different points in hip flexion.
• PTOTOther2020Does walking the day of total hip arthroplasty speed up functional independence? A non-randomized controlled study.Archives of physiotherapyPatients who walked the day after hip replacement had higher functional independence scores at 3 days than those who started walking the next day. By 7 days only self-care remained higher, and pain and quality of life were similar.
• PTCase-Control2020Functional movement assessment by means of inertial sensor technology to discriminate between movement behaviour of healthy controls and persons with knee osteoarthritis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationInertial sensors distinguished knee osteoarthritis from healthy controls during walking, lunges, squats and stairs, but not sit-to-stand. People with knee osteoarthritis showed less knee flexion and trunk and pelvis rotation, with limited links to pain or fear of movement.
• PTCohort2020Use of the pedometer in the evaluation of the effects of rehabilitation treatment on deambulatory autonomy in patients with lower limb arthroplasty during hospital rehabilitation: long-term postoperative outcomes.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 48-hour pedometer gave consistent readings. After 8 weeks of lower-limb kinesitherapy, walking training, balance training, bike training, and hydrokinesitherapy, daily walking rose from 2,070 to 3,100 m per day; components cannot be separated.
• PTOTQualitative2020Web-Based Consumer Health Education About Back Pain: Findings of Potential Tensions From a Photo-Elicitation and Observational Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with back pain using a website described tensions between reducing pain and living with it, staying active and resting, choosing treatments and needing guidance, hearing warnings without feeling judged, and biomedical facts without human context.
• PTOther2020Local Anesthetic Injection Resolves Movement Pain, Motor Dysfunction, and Pain Catastrophizing in Individuals With Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyIn chronic Achilles tendinopathy, a local anesthetic injection immediately reduced movement pain, improved heel-raise performance to control levels, and lowered pain catastrophizing, but fear of movement stayed elevated.
• PTOther2020Extended Version of a Test Battery for Visual Assessment of Postural Orientation Errors: Face Validity, Internal Consistency, and Reliability.Physical therapyAn extended visual test battery for postural errors in late-stage ACL rehab showed good consistency and reliability. It adds a side-hop task and two knee-specific observations, allowing therapists to assess lower-limb alignment during jumping and daily movements more comprehensively.
• PTRCT2020Compared to conventional physiotherapy, does the use of an ankle trainer device after Weber B ankle fracture operation improve outcome and shorten hospital stay? A randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAnkle function scores were higher with a spring-loaded trainer at three weeks after operated ankle fracture, but not at 52 weeks. Hospital stay averaged 2.6 days versus 3.2 days. Pain and ankle motion did not differ.
• PTSurvey2020The use of smartphone apps in clinical practice: A survey of South African physiotherapists.The South African journal of physiotherapy152 of 255 South African physiotherapists with smartphones used apps professionally, mainly for administrative tasks; 58 prescribed apps, but 94 did not because of quality, personalisation, safety and knowledge concerns.
• PTOTSystematic Review2020Dart thrower's motion and the injured scapholunate interosseous ligament: A scoping review of studies examining motion, orthoses, and rehabilitation.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsIn a torn scapholunate ligament, dart thrower motion may separate the scaphoid and lunate at end range, especially ulnar flexion. Midrange motion may be safer, but cadaver and imaging studies did not test repaired ligaments, and orthosis designs are unproven.
• PTOTOther2020Responsiveness of pain, functional capacity tests, and disability level in individuals with chronic nonspecific low back pain.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoPain scores changed most after two weeks of therapy for chronic low back pain. The five-time sit-to-stand test also changed noticeably. But the functional reach and step tests barely budged. Disability scores improved less than expected. These tests may need longer to show real progress.
• PTSurvey2020Perception of tertiary care clients toward the availability of physical therapy service at primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional survey.Journal of physical therapy scienceSeventy-five percent of clients referred to a tertiary PT clinic in Saudi Arabia wanted PT at nearby primary care centers, mainly for faster access and less travel. They doubted PHC had skilled therapists, equipment, or wheelchair-accessible buildings.
• PTOther2020Association between lumbopelvic motion and muscle activation in patients with non-specific low back pain during forward bending task: A cross-sectional study.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoDuring forward bending, people with low back pain did not show a clear lumbar motion difference, but pelvic motion appeared more dominant and gluteus maximus activity was lower than in healthy people. Only eight per group were studied.
• PTOTQualitative2020Fostering Holistic Hand Therapy: Emergent Themes of Client Experiences of Mind-Body Interventions.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthEight hand therapy clients described sonographic biofeedback as helping them understand their injury's physical cause and mindfulness as reducing stress to allow focus. Both approaches helped clients feel more in control and active in their recovery.
• PTOther2020Intertester reliability of a movement impairment-based classification system for individuals with shoulder pain.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoTwo trained physical therapists did not always classify shoulder pain the same way using the Movement System Impairment system. They agreed on broad syndromes 71.11% of the time, and detailed patterns were less consistent.
• PTOTOther2020Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the STarT back screening tool in isiZulu.The South African journal of physiotherapyIsiZulu-speaking patients found the translated STarT Back tool easy to understand and complete. While patients accepted it, the scores were not consistent enough to reliably group patients into low, medium, or high risk, so it should not yet be used to direct treatment.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Physical Therapist Management of Total Knee Arthroplasty.Physical therapyPTs should start supervised care within 24 hours, use NMES and high-intensity strength training, and include motor function training. Avoid continuous passive motion devices. Teach cryotherapy and preoperative exercise. Use group or individual sessions as needed, and collect KOOS JR, 30-Second Sit-to-Stand, and TUG scores.
• PTNarrative Review2020Safety netting; best practice in the face of uncertainty.Musculoskeletal science & practiceThis paper is a viewpoint on safety netting in remote musculoskeletal physiotherapy. It outlines clinical reasoning challenges and recommends communication strategies but reports no patient data or outcomes, so there is no evidence here to change practice.
• PTNarrative Review2020Telehealth for musculoskeletal physiotherapy.Musculoskeletal science & practiceThis masterclass provides a structured approach for implementing telehealth in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, covering technology selection, patient triage, and clinical environment preparation, but reports no new research findings.
• PTNarrative Review2020Physiotherapy management of patients with trunk trauma: A state-of-the-art review.The South African journal of physiotherapySmall studies support early physiotherapy for adults with chest trauma: mobilisation, breathing exercises, coughing and multidisciplinary pathways may shorten hospital stay. Evidence is limited, and post-discharge rehabilitation is rarely reported.