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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 29 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCohort2025How Much Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, and Osteopathy Care Do Compensated Australian Workers with Low Back Pain Receive? A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationMost compensated Australian workers with low back pain attend physical therapy, with 82% seeing a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath. Median attendances were 13 for physiotherapy only, 8 for chiropractic only, 10 for osteopathy only, and 31 for multiple professions. Jurisdiction strongly influenced care patterns.
• PTSystematic Review2025Prognostic Factors and Models for Predicting Work Absence in Adults with Musculoskeletal Conditions Consulting a Healthcare Practitioner: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationOlder age and positive recovery expectations were the most consistent predictors of shorter sickness absence in adults with musculoskeletal pain. However, evidence was weak for all factors and prediction models due to inconsistent measurement and reporting.
• PTCohort2025The Association of Physiotherapy Continuity of Care with Duration of Time Loss Among Compensated Australian Workers with Low Back Pain.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCompensated Australian workers with low back pain who saw the same physiotherapist for all visits were more likely to have shorter time off work. Median income support was 11.1 weeks with complete care and 62.2 weeks with low care.
• PTOTOther2025Falls in people with mobility limitations: a cross-sectional analysis of a US registry of assistive device users.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyHalf of adults seeking mobility devices reported a fall in the past three months. Those with progressive conditions like Parkinson's or osteoarthritis fell most often, while many still used only canes or no device.
• PTOTCohort2024Nonopioid analgesic use in older patients admitted for orthopedic rehabilitation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOlder patients in orthopedic rehab who received nonopioid pain meds were younger, had higher BMI, and prior opioid use. They got higher opioid doses than those who did not receive nonopioids, suggesting these drugs were not used to spare opioids.
• PTOTOther2024Early Daily Activity: Development and description of an occupation-based intervention for surgically repaired distal radius Fractures.Clinical rehabilitationEarly Daily Activity is a new protocol for wrist fracture rehab that replaces prescribed exercises with light daily tasks like cooking or folding laundry. It has not been tested for effectiveness, so use it only as a structured framework for discussion, not as proven care.
• PTOTCohort2024Analysis of a newly developed multidisciplinary program in the Middle East informed by the recently revised spina bifida guidelines.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineIn a Qatar spina bifida clinic, shunts, continence problems, and mobility-device needs were common among 117 patients. Recorded gaps included orthotics, wheelchairs, school access, and catheter supplies. This is descriptive, not outcome evidence.
• PTOTCase Report2024"Virtual reality fixed me": A case report of the use of virtual reality during intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA child in intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment described virtual reality as helping her move, reduce pain focus, and feel safe. Therapists observed improvements, but this is a single person, not proof virtual reality works.
• PTOTOther2024Combined knee osteoarthritis and diabetes is associated with reduced muscle strength, physical inactivity, and poorer quality of life.Journal of rehabilitation medicineOlder adults with both knee osteoarthritis and diabetes had significantly lower muscle strength and physical activity than those with either condition alone. However, diabetes did not worsen knee pain, and the combined group did not show higher fall risk than those with knee pain alone.
• PTSurvey2024Usage, Attitudes, Facilitators, and Barriers Toward Digital Health Technologies in Musculoskeletal Care: Survey Among Primary Care Physiotherapists in Norway.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOnly 46% of Norwegian physiotherapists use digital tools, mostly for treatment. They avoid them for diagnosis due to limited physical exams. Positive attitudes exist, but lack of training and reimbursement barriers persist. Private practice uses them more than municipal services.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Heart rate variability activity in soccer athletes after a musculoskeletal injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineInjured soccer players showed altered heart rate variability patterns compared to when they returned to play, specifically lower LF power and LF/HF ratio with higher HF power immediately after injury. These autonomic shifts suggest HRV could help detect injury or guide return-to-play decisions.
• PTOTRCT2024Effectiveness of Pilates compared with home-based exercises in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain: Randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationSupervised Pilates reduced pain and disability more than home exercises, but the difference was too small to matter clinically. However, Pilates led to a clinically relevant improvement in quality of life that persisted at six months.
• PTOTOther2024Three-month functional training programme improves knee joint function in athletes post-ACL reconstruction surgery.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAthletes who did 3 months of structured functional training after ACL surgery recovered knee strength and balance better than those who just waited for natural healing. The training group reached a hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio of 67.46% on the injured side, compared with 56.52% in the control group.
• PTOTCase Report2024A confounding pediatric spinal cord injury: Anterior, central, or both?Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA two-year-old with a cervical spinal cord injury recovered distal arm function before proximal strength. This atypical pattern, combined with conflicting imaging and clinical signs, makes standard adult prognostic models unreliable for predicting long-term recovery in young children.
• PTOTOther2024Evidence based clinical practice guideline for follow-up care in persons with spinal cord injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA new guideline recommends spinal cord injury follow-up care at 3, 6, and 12 months post-rehab, then annually. It urges checking for secondary conditions like pain, bladder issues, and mobility changes, though the evidence behind these schedules is currently low.
• PTOTCohort2024Does diagnosis matter? Evaluating impact of pediatric chronic pain diagnosis on pain and function.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with chronic pain improved in pain and function after an interdisciplinary program, regardless of diagnosis. Most baseline differences between pain types disappeared by discharge, though those with widespread pain continued to show more emotional impairment.
• PTCase Report2024Physical therapist management and coordination of care to prevent pathological hip fracture from metastatic disease: a case report.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOne woman with breast cancer bone metastases reported worsening left hip pain with walking during physical therapy. The therapist reported this to the physician, and imaging and prophylactic hip fixation followed. She later walked 140 feet with a walker at discharge.
• PTOTQualitative2024Exploring stroke survivors' and physiotherapists' perspectives of the potential for markerless motion capture technology in community rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors and physiotherapists see potential in markerless motion capture for home rehab but warn it suits only 10-20% of caseloads. Barriers include cost, digital access, and safety risks. It supplements rather than replaces therapist contact, especially for those with cognitive or perceptual impairments.
• PTOther2024Impact of chronic ankle instability on gait loading strategy in individuals with chronic ankle instability: a comparative study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYoung men with chronic ankle instability did not load the foot differently while walking compared with controls. One exception was more load on the outer heel.
• PTSystematic Review2024Multibody dynamics-based musculoskeletal modeling for gait analysis: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMultibody musculoskeletal models can estimate internal joint forces and muscle activity from walking data, but clinical use is limited by bulky equipment, imperfect personalization, and limited validation.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025Postprocedure protocols after intraarticular orthobiologic injections-A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMost orthobiologic studies restrict NSAIDs for months post-injection, but rarely describe physical therapy or weight-bearing limits. This makes it impossible to know which part of the protocol mattered. Clinicians cannot yet translate these trial rules into specific post-injection advice for patients.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage for the treatment of rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineUltrasound-guided lavage beats shock-wave therapy for pain at one year but not earlier, and clears calcium faster. It is safe but not clearly superior to steroid injections or sham procedures. Evidence is very low, so do not expect this to resolve your patient's symptoms definitively.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on bone fractures: a systematic review update.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePulsed electromagnetic fields did not significantly speed up bone healing in acute fractures. Evidence for pain reduction and functional recovery is contradictory and based on very few studies. Current data does not support using this therapy to improve fracture healing.
• PTOTCohort2024Multidisciplinary Home-Based Rehabilitation Program for Individuals With Disabilities: Longitudinal Observational Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesBalance scores increased after a 4-month home rehabilitation program in 270 people with moderate musculoskeletal or neurological disabilities. Depression scores showed no clear change. Many therapies were given together, so no single treatment can be credited.
• PTOther2024Design and development of an eHealth intervention to support self-management in people with musculoskeletal disorders: 'eHealth: it's TIME'.Clinical rehabilitationPeople with musculoskeletal disorders and physiotherapists helped design a follow-up self-management app prototype with four components. Small usability tests rated it good, but the study did not test whether it reduces pain or improves function.
• PTOTPilot2024A pilot study to establish feasibility and acceptability of a yoga and self-management education intervention to support caregivers and care receivers with persistent pain.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOnline delivery of a yoga and self-management programme for pain caregivers met all feasibility benchmarks, while in-person delivery failed recruitment targets. Both groups reported high satisfaction, but pain scores did not significantly improve, and caregiver outcomes lagged behind those of care receivers.
• PTSurvey2024Exploring knowledge, perception, and use of surface electromyography in physiotherapy post graduate trainees in Italy: a single center preliminary survey.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost surveyed physiotherapists rarely use surface electromyography, viewing it as a research tool rather than a clinical resource. Despite postgraduate training, few felt their practical skills improved, citing a lack of hands-on experience and inadequate undergraduate preparation as key barriers to adoption.
• PTOTCohort2024Ambulation recovery prediction after hip fracture surgery using the Hip Fracture Short-Term Ambulation Prediction tool.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThree simple factors predict hip fracture recovery at three months. Age, pre-injury walking ability, and discharge walking status accurately forecast who will regain independence or their baseline mobility, helping therapists plan discharge and home modifications.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Comparison of synergy extrapolation and static optimization for estimating multiple unmeasured muscle activations during walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor two post-stroke walkers, a new computer method estimated missing muscle activity more accurately than standard static optimization. It produced smoother, more realistic muscle force predictions, but this was a small technical validation, not a clinical trial.
• PTOTRCT2024Rehabilitation and care after hip fracture: a cost-utility analysis of stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding intensive physiotherapy and empowerment support to usual hip fracture care produced a tiny quality-of-life gain but cost significantly more. It was not cost-effective overall. However, for patients discharged to their own homes, it may be viable without extra cost.
• PTPilot2024A fuzzy-logic approach for longitudinal assessment of patients' psychophysiological state: an application to upper-limb orthopedic robot-aided rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEight post-surgery patients doing robot arm and virtual-reality upper-limb therapy mostly had estimated positive states. Across sessions, estimated excitement fell while relaxation rose, and boredom or stress stayed rare. This describes estimated perception of the treatment, not that it improved recovery.
• PTOther2025Knee joint mechanics during gait after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a partial or full thickness quadriceps tendon autograft at 2 years after surgery.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOperated and unoperated knees walked similarly at least 1 year after quadriceps tendon ACL reconstruction, but both groups made less knee straightening force during early stance than controls.
• PTCohort2024Factors associated with pain-related functional interference in people with chronic low back pain enrolled in a physical exercise programme: the role of pain, sleep, and quality of life.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor people with chronic low back pain in an exercise programme, worse sleep and higher pain intensity directly predicted greater functional interference. Lower quality of life also predicted interference, while weak opioid use was associated with slightly less interference. This is an association, not a cause.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Adverse childhood experiences, subsequent negative life events, and their impact on health in occupational rehabilitation patients: a mixed-methods study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHalf of occupational rehab patients reported childhood adversity. Those with past abuse faced more adult victimization, financial strain, and relationship conflicts. These patients reported higher anxiety and depression scores than those without childhood trauma, but physical pain complaints did not differ between the groups.
• PTOTPilot2024The acute cross-education effect of foam rolling on the thigh muscles in patients after total knee arthroplasty.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesRolling the non-operated thigh for 3 minutes immediately reduced pain and increased range of motion in the operated knee during the first week after total knee replacement. This offers a way to manage pain early without touching the surgical site.
• PTCase Series2024A one-year follow-up case series on gait analysis and patient-reported outcomes for persons with unilateral and bilateral transfemoral amputations undergoing direct skeletal fixation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPatient-reported function improved after osseointegration and rehabilitation, but walking speed changed unevenly, with some participants faster and some slower. This case series cannot show either caused the changes.
• PTOTQualitative2024The coping strategies employed by individuals with chronic low back pain: secondary qualitative analysis of data from diverse adult populations in two sub-Saharan African countries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdults in Nigeria and Zambia mixed helpful and harmful strategies to manage back pain. Avoiding heavy lifting and pacing work helped, but poverty forced many to keep lifting. Relying on painkillers for daily function was common, and no strategy fully stopped the pain.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Does shockwave therapy lead to better pain and function than sham over 12 weeks in people with insertional Achilles tendinopathy? A randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAdding shockwave therapy to exercise and education made no difference to pain or function compared to sham at 12 weeks. Both groups improved similarly. Shockwave therapy offers no benefit over recommended care for insertional Achilles tendinopathy.
• PTOTOther2025Association between muscle strength and echogenicity using greyscale ultrasound software: a diagnostic accuracy study in kidney transplant candidates.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineUltrasound brightness of the thigh muscle correlated with lower leg strength in kidney transplant candidates. A brightness score above 70 flagged weakness with fair accuracy, but the test cannot replace direct strength measurement as a standalone screening tool.
• PTPilot2024Post-traumatic hand rehabilitation using a powered metacarpal-phalangeal exoskeleton: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn five people with hand injuries, a powered finger exoskeleton did not show a confirmed increase in therapist-measured finger joint motion after one session.
• PTOTCase Report2024Combination of traditional Chinese bone setting and NMES technique for treating lumbar disc herniation: a case report.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA 33-year-old office worker with lumbar disc herniation received a package of bone setting, electrical stimulation, stretching, strengthening and massage, followed by pain score 6 to 0 and better bending. This single case is not proof the combination works.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn plantar fasciitis, PRP injections gave better pain relief and foot function at 3 to 6 months than corticosteroid injections, often with local anesthetics. They did not help more at 1 month or 1 year for pain, and did not reduce fascia thickness more.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Efficacy of different spinal orthoses for pain management, functional improvement, and quality of life in osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a mini review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEvidence for spinal braces in osteoporotic fractures is inconsistent. Dynamic braces like Spinomed show promise for pain and strength, but rigid and soft braces perform similarly to no brace. High risk of bias in included studies means no specific orthosis is proven superior.
• PTOTSurvey2025Model of Fear of Movement/(Re)injury Runs Clockwise From Catastrophizing: Evidence From a Sample of Outpatients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationHigher pain catastrophizing scores tracked with greater fear of movement, disability, depressive symptoms, and pain in 180 outpatients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. This does not prove catastrophizing caused these symptoms.
• PTOTCase Report2024Cryoneurolysis and Quadriplegia: A Case Report on Pain and Severe Spasticity Management.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA man with long-standing quadriplegia and severe spasticity had cryoneurolysis to hip and hand muscles. His hip and knee range of motion and hand function improved for months, and he regained some daily independence. This is one person's story, not proof the treatment works for others.
• PTRCT2025Comparison of different treatment positions of nerve slider technique for patients with low back pain: a randomized control trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding sciatic nerve sliders to standard physiotherapy helped more than standard care alone for low back pain with sciatica. The slump position reduced pain and disability significantly more than the supine position, while both outperformed conventional therapy alone.
• PTRCT2025Functional Capacity at Rehabilitation Discharge Predicts Physical Activity Characteristics 24 Weeks Later for People With Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAt discharge after total knee replacement rehabilitation, slower Timed Up-and-Go and lower self-reported physical health predicted fewer average daily steps six months later. Functional capacity alone did not guarantee activity.
• PTCase Series2024Cultural and urban city living expectations of knee motion in a Southeast Asian city: implications on total knee arthroplasty outcomes.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHealthy Singapore adults needed 55.7° for walking, 68.2° ascending stairs and 70.9° descending stairs, but 127°, 131°, 130° and 133° for squatting or kneeling. Squatting and kneeling need much more knee flexion than walking or stairs.
• PTOTCohort2025Effect of baseline values on inpatient rehabilitation outcomes after total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective observational study.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients entering knee rehab with the worst mobility and self-reported scores improved the most, but those starting with the best scores also improved. Baseline values did not predict who would benefit, so all patients should receive standard inpatient rehabilitation regardless of initial severity.
• PTOther2025Ultrasound tissue characterization and function of Achilles tendon in psoriatic arthritis patients: a cross-sectional study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePeople with psoriatic arthritis and painful Achilles insertion had moderate-severe pain, reduced heel-rise endurance, strength, and fast walking. Ultrasound showed structural changes on both sides, even when pain was one-sided.