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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 13 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCase-Control2020Evaluation of cervical spine muscles thickness in patients with cervical vertigo and healthy controls through ultrasonography.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with cervical vertigo had a thicker longus colli muscle than healthy controls, but no difference was found in other deep neck muscles. This suggests the deep neck flexors may be working harder to stabilize the spine in these patients.
• PTPilot2020Effects of physical therapy on blood pressure in daily clinical practice-a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter a getting-up therapy session combining range-of-motion exercise, strength training, standing-up training, and walking training, systolic blood pressure rose from 127.7 mmHg to 139.1 mmHg in 23 hospitalized patients. Resting pulse rate predicted the rise, and age and body weight predicted an exaggerated rise.
• PTOther2020Orthopedic guidelines for the care of people with spina bifida.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineExpert consensus guidelines for spina bifida prioritize a stable spine, plantigrade feet without skin breakdown, and gait. They advise individualized orthopedic care, not routine hip surveillance or hip reduction for subluxation.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Health promotion and preventive health care service guidelines for the care of people with spina bifida.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineSpina bifida preventive care guidelines rest mostly on expert consensus and general screening, not proof of tested interventions. They flag mobility, daily activity, bowel/bladder, pain, and swallowing changes as conditions to monitor across ages.
• PTPilot2020Preoperative exercise in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Archives of physiotherapyThe main stair-climbing outcome did not differ between the exercise and control groups. Some pain and activity scores showed group differences, but with 20 patients this pilot cannot show a treatment effect.
• PTCohort2020Diversity and regularity in infant crawling with typical development.Journal of physical therapy scienceNineteen typically developing infants showed wide differences in crawling movement patterns before walking, from 23 to 65 types. Infants who began crawling earlier tended to show more patterns, so no single count was consistent.
• PTCohort2020Development and validation of a method to screen for co-morbid depression by non-behavioral health practitioners treating musculoskeletal pain.Work (Reading, Mass.)In outpatient physical therapy, a 22-item mood screen flagged 35 of 156 patients. Flagged patients reported worse pain and lower task ability. Lower mood-screen scores were linked to better return-to-work.
• PTOTCohort2020Musculoskeletal Pain Outcomes Pre- and Post Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Implant in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Prospective Cohort Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn 32 children with cerebral palsy, parent-reported musculoskeletal pain duration and constant pain decreased after baclofen pump implant. Pain intensity, episode frequency, interference, and spasticity did not change.
• PTOTSurvey2020The physical impact of long bone fractures on adults in KwaZulu-Natal.The South African journal of physiotherapyAdults with lower limb fractures reported greater difficulty walking and running than those with upper limb fractures. Older adults with lower limb fractures had significantly higher disability scores. Falls and car accidents caused similar levels of physical limitation.
• PTOTCohort2020Disability and Pain are the Best Predictors of Sick Leave After a Distal Radius Fracture in Men.Journal of occupational rehabilitationMen with distal radius fracture who reported more disability and pain one week after injury were more likely to have longer sick leave. Early symptoms tracked work loss more closely than fracture severity or treatment.
• PTSystematic Review2020A Systematic Review of Workplace Interventions to Rehabilitate Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Employees with Physical Demanding Work.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkplace strength-training programmes had the clearest evidence of reducing musculoskeletal pain in physically demanding jobs. Stress management, participatory ergonomics, and multifaceted programmes showed no benefit.
• PTOTCohort2021Vocational Rehabilitation with or without Work Module for Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Sick Leave from Work: Longitudinal Impact on Work Participation.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAdding a work module to vocational rehabilitation was associated with higher work participation at 6 months, but not at discharge. The study was observational with high dropout, so this suggests a benefit rather than proving it.
• PTOther2020Development and Validation of an Electronic Medical Record Algorithm to Identify Phenotypes of Rotator Cuff Tear.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAn electronic record algorithm identified rotator cuff tear with sensitivity 0.68 and specificity 0.89 in validation, but it was better at ruling in than ruling out and was not tested outside one center.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Patients with Symptomatic Hip Osteoarthritis Have Altered Kinematics during Stair Ambulation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis walk up and down stairs differently than healthy controls. They turn their hips inward and their knees and ankles outward. These small changes may help avoid pain, but their long-term effect on joint health is unknown.
• PTCohort2021Association of Protein and Genetic Biomarkers With Response to Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections in Subjects With Axial Low Back Pain.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPatients who got 50% pain relief after lumbar epidural steroid injection had higher baseline NPY and serotonin, lower CS846, and certain COMT variants. These markers were not tested to guide care.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021A Systematic Review of the Incidence, Prevalence, Costs, and Activity and Work Limitations of Amputation, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Back Pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A 2019 Update.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationBack pain affected 33.9% of US adults in the past 3 months, osteoarthritis affected 32.5 million adults, and older adults with stroke were 65 to 121 percent more likely to need help with daily activities.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Motivational Interviewing and Return to Work for People with Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Mapping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEvidence on motivational interviewing for return to work in musculoskeletal disorders is limited and inconsistent. One small study found no benefit, while a larger study showed improved return to work for those unemployed at baseline. Neither study isolated the effect of motivational interviewing from other rehabilitation components.
• PTCohort2021The Association of Parity with Greater Dynamic Pronation of the Feet.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationWomen with more children showed greater foot pronation during walking. This association disappeared after adjusting for age and BMI, suggesting weight and aging may drive the foot changes rather than parity itself.
• PTMeta-Analysis2020Exercise Programs to Reduce the Risk of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Military Personnel: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationExercise programs to prevent military injuries show mixed results. Static stretching does not reduce overall injury risk. Targeted resistance and neuromuscular training may help, but evidence is low quality due to bias. Adding exercises without removing others may cause harm.
• PTCohort2021Cellular and Clinical Analyses of Autologous Bone Marrow Aspirate Injectate for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPatients with mild knee osteoarthritis reported better function and less pain for up to 12 months after a single bone marrow aspirate injection into the knee. This was a small uncontrolled pilot, so the injection cannot be shown to have caused the change.
• PTOTRCT2020The effects of small-needle-knife therapy on pain and mobility from knee osteoarthritis: a pilot randomized-controlled study.Clinical rehabilitationSmall needle-knife therapy improved knee pain and Oxford Knee Scores more than the drug Celecoxib at three weeks and three months. However, patients also received massage, acupuncture, and exercise. This pilot cannot separate the needle-knife effect from the standard care.
• PTOTCohort2021The self-assessment INTERMED predicts healthcare and social costs of orthopaedic trauma patients with persistent impairments.Clinical rehabilitationEach one-point higher self-assessment INTERMED score in 136 orthopaedic trauma patients in rehabilitation was associated with 2% higher healthcare costs, 3% higher lost-wage costs and 4% longer work incapacity.
• PTOTSurvey2020Minimal clinically important difference and minimal detectable change of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) amongst patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.Clinical rehabilitationIn patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, a change in WHODAS 2.0 score must exceed 8.6 points to be real rather than measurement error. This threshold is larger than the minimal clinically important difference of 3 to 5 points, meaning small score changes may not reflect true improvement.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Knee Extensor and Flexor Torque Variability During Maximal Strength Testing and Change in Knee Pain and Physical Function at 60-Mo Follow-Up: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST).American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn adults with or at risk of knee OA, inconsistent hamstring strength predicted worsening pain and function over 5 years, even after accounting for peak strength. Inconsistent quadriceps strength did not. Screening for hamstring variability may identify patients at higher risk of decline.
• PTOTCohort2021Accelerometer Measured Sedentary and Physical Activity Behaviors of Working Patients after Total Knee Arthroplasty, and their Compensation Between Occupational and Leisure Time.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorking knee replacement patients spent 60% of their time sedentary. Those with physical jobs moved less during leisure time to compensate for work activity. Those with desk jobs continued prolonged sitting at home. Encourage active breaks for desk workers.
• PTOTCohort2020Conditioned Pain Modulation Decreases Over Time in Patients With Neuropathic Pain Following a Spinal Cord Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDescending pain inhibition decreased over rehabilitation in patients with neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury, but remained stable in those with only musculoskeletal pain. Early pain levels did not predict later pain, suggesting impaired inhibition is a consequence of neuropathic pain rather than its cause.
• PTOther2020Usability and Acceptability of an App (SELFBACK) to Support Self-Management of Low Back Pain: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with low back pain found the app's exercise and activity plans useful, but technical glitches, mixed views on notifications, and limited tailoring meant it needed refinement. This was a usability study, not proof it reduces pain.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Positive Beliefs and the Likelihood of Successful Community Discharge From Skilled Nursing Facilities.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPatients who believed they could become more independent were 6.0% more likely to return home successfully than those who did not. Staff optimism only helped if the patient also believed. If patients were pessimistic, staff optimism was linked to lower discharge success.
• PTOTRCT2021The effect of an integrated multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic low back pain: Long-term follow up of a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAt one year, an integrated multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme did not reduce back-specific disability more than a four-week inpatient programme for chronic low back pain. Both groups improved, but the integrated programme was not shown to be superior.
• PTRCT2021Efficacy of microcurrent therapy for treatment of acute knee pain: A randomized double-blinded controlled clinical trial.Clinical rehabilitationFor acute knee pain, microcurrent did not lower absolute worst pain more than placebo at any week. Its reduction from baseline was larger and, after adjustment, reached the study's threshold at week 3.
• PTOTRCT2021Rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair: A multi-centre pilot & feasibility randomised controlled trial (RaCeR).Clinical rehabilitationEarly sling removal was feasible and resulted in significantly more time out of the sling than standard care. However, clinical outcomes showed no significant difference between groups, and the study was underpowered to confirm effectiveness.
• PTOTQualitative2020Exploring Attitudes and Experiences of People With Knee Osteoarthritis Toward a Self-Directed eHealth Intervention to Support Exercise: Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with knee osteoarthritis found a self-directed website and SMS program easy to use and helpful for exercising. However, automated texts caused guilt when they missed sessions. Most wanted a health professional to introduce the program and be available for questions.
• PTOther2020Characterization of speed adaptation while walking on an omnidirectional treadmill.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWalking on an omnidirectional treadmill did not match overground walking. Participants walked slower with shorter steps, faster cadence, more knee and ankle bending, and greater activity in some hip muscles. Adding virtual reality made little difference.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Validation of ICD-10-CM surveillance codes for traumatic brain injury inpatient hospitalizations.Brain injuryInpatient records coded for skull fractures alone often do not represent true traumatic brain injury, with a positive predictive value of 15.8%. Records coded for intracranial injury were far more accurate, confirming TBI in 96.9% of cases when listed as the primary diagnosis.
• PTOTRCT2020Fall inducing movable platform (FIMP) for overground trips and slips.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new mobile platform successfully induced realistic trips and slips in healthy young adults without restricting their walking. The device attached to the ankle and moved with the person, allowing researchers to capture natural balance recovery reactions that treadmill studies often miss.
• PTCohort2020Factors Associated With the Outcome of a First-Line Intervention for Patients With Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis or Both: Data From the BOA Register.Physical therapyMore baseline pain was associated with larger pain reduction after a physical therapist-led education, self-management and personalized exercise programme, at home or supervised. Age and BMI were weakly associated; comorbidity, walking difficulty and wanting surgery were linked to smaller pain reduction or pain increase.
• PTRCT2021Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and heat to reduce pain in a chronic low back pain population: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyFor chronic low back pain, heat plus TENS did not reduce pain more than no treatment over 4 weeks. Pressure pain thresholds were higher, but main pain outcomes did not differ.
• PTOTCohort2021Reliability and precision of single frequency bioelectrical impedance assessment of lower extremity swelling following total knee arthroplasty.Physiotherapy theory and practiceSingle-frequency bioelectrical impedance assessment is highly reliable for measuring leg swelling after knee replacement. It detects smaller true changes than tape measurements. A 2% reduction in swelling is considered a real change, helping therapists judge if treatment is working.
• PTRCT2021Dose-related effects of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineHigher intensity shock wave therapy worked better than lower intensity or placebo for knee osteoarthritis pain and function. The number of shocks (2,000 vs 4,000) made little difference. No serious side effects occurred.
• PTSurvey2020Adherence to key domains in low back pain guidelines: A cross-sectional study of Danish physiotherapists.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyDanish physiotherapists strictly adhered to guidelines for assessing psychosocial risk factors but were cautious with activity and work advice. Public clinic therapists showed better adherence than private ones, who had far shorter first consultations. Passive treatments like heat and electrotherapy were rarely used.
• PTRCT2020A Secondary Injury Prevention Program May Decrease Contralateral Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes: 2-Year Injury Rates in the ACL-SPORTS Randomized Controlled Trial.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyThere was no group difference in second ACL injuries when perturbation training was added to an ACL-SPORTS prevention program in 39 female athletes. Nine second injuries occurred: four graft ruptures and five contralateral injuries.
• PTOTRCT2021Rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair: A nested qualitative study exploring the perceptions and experiences of participants in a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationMost patients found keeping a sling for four weeks after rotator cuff repair difficult, affecting sleep and daily tasks. Many preferred early removal. Clinicians felt conflicted about early movement due to fears of damaging the repair. Patients were unhappy that ultrasound scan results were not shared.
• PTOTSystematic Review2020Meniscus or Cartilage Injury at the Time of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear Is Associated With Worse Prognosis for Patient-Reported Outcome 2 to 10 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyPatients with ACL tears who also have meniscus or cartilage injuries report worse knee function and quality of life two to ten years after surgery. These concurrent injuries are a strong predictor of poor long-term outcomes, unlike age or sex which showed no association.
• PTCohort2020Examination of Corticospinal and Spinal Reflexive Excitability During the Course of Postoperative Rehabilitation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyAfter ACLR, athletes showed altered brain-to-muscle signaling to the quadriceps, especially in the opposite leg. These changes were linked to quadriceps strength and did not appear to change across the tested rehabilitation points.
• PTNarrative Review2021Aging, Osteo-Sarcopenia, and Musculoskeletal Mechano-Transduction.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAging bone and muscle cells lose their ability to sense mechanical load, requiring heavier weights to trigger growth. This review suggests that while resistance exercise is essential, it may not fully reverse this loss of sensitivity, pointing to cellular mechanisms as future therapeutic targets.
• PTQualitative2021Patient values in physiotherapy practice, a qualitative study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyPatients with musculoskeletal pain value being seen as unique individuals rather than cases. They expect physiotherapists to be technically skilled, morally conscientious, and compassionate. Treatment should foster partnership and empowerment, respecting autonomy and addressing vulnerability in personal and physical boundaries.
• PTSurvey2020Subacromial impingement syndrome: a survey of Italian physiotherapists and orthopaedics on diagnostic strategies and management modalities.Archives of physiotherapyItalian musculoskeletal physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons manage subacromial impingement differently. Physiotherapists rely on history and physical exam, while surgeons lean on imaging and injections. Both agree exercise is the best conservative treatment, but disagree on its primary goal.
• PTSystematic Review2020Restoring lumbar lordosis: a systematic review of controlled trials utilizing Chiropractic Bio Physics® (CBP®) non-surgical approach to increasing lumbar lordosis in the treatment of low back disorders.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn three controlled trials, programs that included lumbar extension traction alongside other rehabilitation increased lumbar lordosis and helped pain and function last to 6 months more than comparison care. Evidence is preliminary, and the review authors have ties to the method.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Return-to-work self-efficacy after occupational rehabilitation for musculoskeletal and common mental health disorders: Secondary outcomes of a randomized clinical trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding a workplace meeting to standard rehabilitation did not improve return-to-work self-efficacy more than the standard programme alone. However, patients who ended rehabilitation with higher self-efficacy scores had fewer sick leave days in the following year.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020A web-based daily care training to improve the quality of life of mothers of children with cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial.Research in developmental disabilitiesMothers of children with severe cerebral palsy who added a 12-week web-based care training to routine occupational therapy reported better physical health quality of life and less musculoskeletal pain. Anxiety, depression, and stress did not improve more than with routine care alone.