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 30 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2025Motor modules are largely unaffected by pathological walking biomechanics: a simulation study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn computer simulations, walking speed, step width and step length asymmetry were produced by the same lower-limb motor modules. The modules changed how strongly and when they fired, while their number and muscle groupings were largely unchanged.
• PTOTQualitative2025Secondary amputation: a qualitative study of quality of life in patients after primary limb salvage surgery and after later ablative sarcoma treatment.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients who underwent secondary amputation after failed limb salvage described the surgery as a relief from chronic infection, not a loss. They emphasized that discussing amputation as a future option early in their care helped them cope and improved their quality of life.
• PTSurvey2024Underutilization of coper/non-coper screening in anterior cruciate ligament injuries management in Italy: an online survey.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost Italian clinicians do not use the coper/non-coper screening for ACL injuries. Only 17% of physical therapists and 20% of surgeons apply it routinely. This means many patients may miss a chance to avoid surgery through structured rehab.
• PTOTCohort2025Etiological factors and clinical outcomes in extracapsular and intracapsular hip fractures among older adults: A gender-specific analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOlder women with extracapsular hip fractures are significantly less likely to return home and more likely to need rehabilitation or readmission than those with intracapsular fractures. Men with the same fracture types showed no difference in discharge outcomes. Risk factors for severe fractures differed by gender.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Aquatic exercise interventions in the treatment of musculoskeletal upper extremity disorders: A scoping review.Clinical rehabilitationAquatic exercise for upper limb issues is almost exclusively studied in shoulder conditions, especially after rotator cuff repair. It is rarely delivered alone, usually mixed with land-based therapy, manual work, or injections. We cannot tell if the water itself adds benefit, and reporting is too poor to guide practice.
• PTCase Report2024Case Report: Rehabilitation of a giant meniscus cyst with a mixed tear.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOne man underwent arthroscopic cyst removal, meniscus repair, sodium hyaluronate injection and staged rehabilitation. At 16 weeks he had no knee tenderness and met criteria to resume normal life. This is one recovery, not proof any component works.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Incidence of hip problems in developmental central hypotonia: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with developmental central hypotonia face a much higher risk of hip dysplasia and dislocation than the general population. Because standard newborn checks often miss these issues, authors recommend hip ultrasound for all hypotonic infants between 6 weeks and 6 months, followed by ongoing surveillance.
• PTOther2024Electronic health record data extraction: Physical therapists' documentation of physical activity assessments and prescriptions for patients with chronic low back pain.Physiotherapy theory and practicePhysical therapists rarely document formal physical activity assessments or prescriptions for chronic low back pain. Home exercise programs appeared in only 5.4% of encounters. When documented, prescriptions often lacked intensity and frequency details, leaving patients without clear guidance.
• PTOther2025Network Medicine as a Tool to Enhance Regenerative Rehabilitation Practice.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMechanical loading and thermal stimulation appeared to target separate pathways in cartilage data, while exercise and stem-cell transplantation appeared to complement anti-inflammatory targets in stroke data. This is a computational preview, not patient evidence.
• PTOTCohort2025Patients' real-world engagement with movement pattern modifications for nonarthritic hip-related pain.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAll 80 patients with hip pain who completed follow-up tried changing their movement patterns after one brief instructional session. Most did this independently rather than with a physical therapist, sustaining the changes over 12 weeks. This suggests patients are willing to self-manage these modifications.
• PTOTCohort2025Association between widespread pain and psychosocial factors in people with knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study of patients from primary care in Denmark.Physiotherapy theory and practiceIn people with knee osteoarthritis, marking more body sites as painful on a chart was linked to lower confidence in managing symptoms and more anxiety or depression. However, widespread pain was not linked to higher fear of movement, and in some groups was linked to less.
• PTOther2024Gait kinematics differ by bout duration and setting.Gait & posturePeople walked faster and with longer steps inside the lab than outside, and faster and with longer steps during long out-of-lab bouts than short out-of-lab bouts. Hip, knee and ankle movement did not differ by setting or bout length.
• PTOTCohort2024Total ankle arthroplasty improves discrete and continuous stance phase gait symmetry.Gait & posturePatients with end-stage ankle arthritis who underwent total ankle arthroplasty showed improved gait symmetry at one and two years post-surgery. Weight acceptance, propulsion, and ankle moments became more symmetrical, though hip angle asymmetry persisted throughout the stance phase.
• PTOther2024Injury Patterns in Fencing Athletes - A Retrospective Review.International journal of sports physical therapy73% of fencing injuries seen in clinics were in the lower extremity, and 49% of those involved the knee; upper limb injuries were almost always on the dominant side when documented. 80% were treated with physical therapy; when recorded, 51% had no time off sport.
• PTOTCohort2025Malnutrition and sarcopenia in inpatient rehabilitation: prevalence and associations with changes in bodyweight, muscle strength, and functional independence.Journal of rehabilitation medicineOver a third of inpatient rehab patients had malnutrition or sarcopenia. Strength and function improved during rehab, but malnourished patients were still weaker and less independent at discharge. Many at-risk patients lost weight, suggesting follow-up is needed.
• PTCohort2025Correlation between aspiration of calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy and morphology on imaging.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn 292 aspiration cases, 58.2% had calcium aspirated. Type I x-ray calcifications and larger deposits were more likely to succeed; ultrasound morphology was not associated with success.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Analgesic efficacy of transcranial combined peripheral magnetic stimulation in chronic nonspecific low back pain: a fNIRS study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding brain stimulation to peripheral magnetic stimulation did not reduce pain more than peripheral stimulation alone. Both groups improved similarly on pain and disability scores after two weeks of treatment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Prevalence of function-limiting late effects in survivors of head and neck cancer.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationSurvivors of head and neck cancer referred to rehabilitation had high rates of complex late effects. Ninety-two percent had swallowing difficulty, eighty-six percent had facial or neck lymphedema, and seventy-eight percent had cranial nerve dysfunction, indicating a need for comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Relationships Between Socioecological Factors and Self-Efficacy to Participate in Physical Activity for Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: An Integrative Review.Physical therapySelf-efficacy to exercise in chronic pain is shaped by more than just the patient's mindset. Social support, a trusting provider relationship, telehealth access, and community program availability all significantly influence whether patients feel capable of being active.
• PTCohort2024Validity, Agreement and Reliability of the ForceFrame Dynamometer in Patients with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.International journal of sports physical therapyThe ForceFrame reliably measures knee extension strength in ACL patients but underestimates absolute values compared to the gold standard. A change of 22-27% is needed to confirm real improvement. It performs poorly for knee flexion, which requires cautious interpretation.
• PTCohort2024Dynamic Functional Ability in Lacrosse Players in Relation to Development of Sport-Related Onset of Musculoskeletal Pain.International journal of sports physical therapyAmong 128 lacrosse players, the youngest group made more errors on single-leg squats and drop jumps. Over six months, more drop-jump errors were linked to low back pain, and worse single-leg squat scores to lower-extremity pain.
• PTSystematic Review2025Is dynamic balance impaired in people with non-specific low back pain when compared to healthy people? A systematic review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineMost studies in this review found people with non-specific low back pain had impaired dynamic balance compared with healthy people, but the evidence was very low and the cross-sectional studies cannot show cause.
• PTSurvey2024Influence of caregiver understanding of their capability to perform activities of daily living, disease comprehension, and attitudes on occupational low back pain: a cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceCaregiver ratings of repositioning, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and residual-function use were linked to low back pain. The study cannot show that changing these factors prevents pain.
• PTOTSurvey2025The prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among Indonesian dental professionals.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAlmost all dental staff reported musculoskeletal issues, with back and waist pain most common. Poor posture and prolonged sitting worsened symptoms, while short breaks and exercise helped. No link was found between symptoms and job role, age, or working hours.
• PTOTCohort2024Analysis of fall risk factors and environmental hazards for older adults in Japan: assessing fall situations and locations.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn Japanese day-care homes, falls clustered in bedrooms, hallways, and entrances. Not using an assistive device predicted hallway and entrance falls, while Parkinson’s disease, orthopedic conditions, and cane use predicted bedroom falls.
• PTCase-Control2024Kinematics of the anterior interval in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn knee osteoarthritis, the anterior knee space angle changed less with knee motion than in healthy young controls, but age and body mass index may explain the difference.
• PTCase Report2024Utilization of Blood Flow Restriction Therapy with a Former Triathlete After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyAfter total knee replacement, a former triathlete added a home blood flow restriction cuff to physical therapy, home exercises, cycling, and acupuncture. Pain, strength, and function improved, but the treatments overlapped, so the cuff alone cannot be credited.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Estimation of elbow flexion torque using equilibrium optimizer on feature selection of NMES MMG signals and hyperparameter tuning of random forest regression.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA new algorithm estimates elbow flexion torque from muscle vibration signals in healthy young men. It reduced the number of features needed by 33% and improved prediction accuracy on unseen data, but has not yet been tested in patients with muscle weakness.
• PTQualitative2024A Qualitative Study of Factors Perceived to Influence Physical Activity among Young Athletes after ACL Reconstruction.International journal of sports physical therapyYoung athletes after ACL reconstruction described fear, soreness, and lost time as barriers, yet kept moving through body awareness, personal meaning, and social accountability.
• PTOther2024First-contact physiotherapists' perceived competency in a new model of care for low back pain patients: a mixed methods study.Archives of physiotherapyNine French physiotherapists working as first-contact practitioners felt competent diagnosing acute low back pain and referring for physiotherapy, but less competent prescribing NSAIDs and issuing sick leave. Experience, training, collaboration, and risk shaped confidence.
• PTNarrative Review2024Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries: Applications in Rehabilitation.International journal of sports physical therapyThis review describes how ultrasound can image medial collateral ligament injuries but reports no patient outcomes or diagnostic accuracy data. It offers no evidence that this method changes rehabilitation results compared to standard care.
• PTOTOther2024"I feel more confident": a mixed methods evaluation of the influence of Good Life with osteoarthritis Denmark (GLA:D®) on physical activity participation, capability, barriers, and facilitators in people with knee osteoarthritis.Brazilian journal of physical therapyGLA:D® reduced fear of knee damage and improved confidence and function, but physical activity participation did not increase. Therapists should not assume improved confidence translates to more activity; address persistent pain, motivation, and environmental barriers separately.
• PTOTSLPOther2025The effects of family directed power mobility on self-care, mobility, and social function in very young children with severe multiple developmental impairments.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwelve children with severe mobility impairments used modified ride-on toys for three months. Caregivers reported improvements in self-care, mobility, and social function. All children learned to operate the device, even those with cortical visual impairment or who could not follow commands.
• PTOTCohort2024Prediction of gait independence by using the phase angle in postoperative patients with proximal femoral fractures: a retrospective study.Journal of physical therapy scienceA simple body composition test measuring phase angle predicted which older hip fracture patients would regain walking independence. Phase angle scores above 4.04 degrees in men and 3.82 degrees in women strongly associated with walking independently at discharge, outperforming muscle mass measures.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Characteristics of upper limb joint mechanics with increased cane dependence during walking.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy young men walking with a cane bearing 20% of body weight showed significantly higher positive joint work at the shoulder and elbow compared to no cane. Wrist work did not increase further from 10% to 20% load. This mechanical stress pattern was not observed in clinical populations.
• PTOTCohort2025Catastrophizing and fear avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn chronic low back pain, catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs explained 35% of disability variance, while pain intensity alone showed only a moderate correlation with disability. Clinicians should screen for these psychological factors rather than assuming pain level dictates functional limitation.
• PTCase Report2024Physical and Muscular Performance in a Professional Soccer Player with a Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Following an Isokinetic Exercise Program: A Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyInjured-knee torque was higher and function score went from 71 to 79 points after a nine-week program of cycling warm-up, isokinetic knee strengthening, and stretching in one soccer player with a Grade III PCL injury. This is one case, not evidence it works for others.
• PTNarrative Review2024Clinical Utility of Qualitative Change of Direction Movement Assessment in ACL Injury Risk Evaluation.International journal of sports physical therapyCMAS and E-CAST can score change-of-direction cuts on video, and have been compared with 3D movement analysis. They may guide ACL screening, but no study has shown they predict injury.
• PTOTRCT2025Perceived barriers to and facilitators of behavioural change towards a more active lifestyle in people with neuromuscular diseases: a qualitative study.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePeople with neuromuscular diseases described barriers such as pain, fatigue, fear of falling, limited space, cold weather, and cost. They also described facilitators: activity trackers, adapted facilities, family support, enjoyable activities, and planning. These are themes, not evidence that the programme works.
• PTOther2025Personalized Predictions for Changes in Knee Pain Among Patients With Osteoarthritis Participating in Supervised Exercise and Education: Prognostic Model Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA new model using six simple questions predicts knee pain changes after GLA:D therapy for 58% of patients. This is about 7% more accurate than telling everyone to expect the average improvement. The model is not yet ready for clinical use because the authors state the accuracy is too preliminary.
• PTCohort2024Relationship Between Single-Leg Vertical Jump and Drop Jump Performance, and Return to Sports After Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring Graft.International journal of sports physical therapyAthletes who failed to return to their pre-injury level after ACL reconstruction showed greater asymmetry in single-leg drop jump reactive strength index. Standard hop distance and vertical jump height did not differ between groups, suggesting explosive plyometric testing captures deficits that traditional criteria miss.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Health: A Review of the Literature and Clinical Application.International journal of sports physical therapyThis review proposes screening for multiple musculoskeletal risk factors, such as previous injury, poor balance, and high BMI, during rehabilitation. It suggests that addressing these factors together, rather than focusing only on local pain, may better prepare patients for physical activity and reduce future injury risk.
• PTOther2024Inferior-Medial Dry Needling at the Thoracolumbar Junction: A Cadaveric Study.International journal of sports physical therapyA 40 mm needle inserted 1.9 cm lateral to the T12 spinous process penetrated the spinal canal on the fourth attempt in a single cadaver. This confirms a theoretical risk of spinal entry with inferior-medial dry needling but does not prove it happens in patients.
• PTOther2024Walking biomechanics in women with patellofemoral osteoarthritis differ compared to men with and women without patellofemoral osteoarthritis.Brazilian journal of physical therapyWomen with patellofemoral knee OA had some different hip and knee walking mechanics than men with the same condition and than controls, and some symptom links appeared only in men.
• PTOTOther2024Effectiveness of manual therapy for patients with low back pain from the perspective of physical and psychosocial factors.Journal of physical therapy scienceAll 18 patients who completed this manual therapy study improved in pain and disability scores over eight weeks. However, without a control group, natural recovery or concurrent medication may explain these gains rather than the treatment itself.
• PTOTCohort2024Factors associated with stair climbing independence at discharge in patients with vertebral compression fractures and their interrelationships: a study using decision tree analysis.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor women with vertebral compression fractures, muscle mass and age at admission predicted stair independence at discharge. Those with skeletal muscle mass index below 4.48 kg/m2 or age over 90.5 years were more likely to need assistance. Grip strength below 11.9 kg also flagged risk.
• PTCohort2025Impact of sarcopenia on gait independence in older orthopaedic patients: a comparison of 2 diagnostic algorithms.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn older orthopaedic inpatients, ISarcoPRM sarcopenia was more common among patients whose walking independence worsened during hospitalization. AWGS2019 sarcopenia was not.
• PTOther2024Effect of protective taping on knee eversion angle and jump height during single-leg vertical jumps in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Journal of physical therapy scienceProtective knee taping after ACL reconstruction reduced knee eversion during landing but also lowered jump height. Both elastic and non-elastic tapes produced similar effects. The study involved only ten participants, so these findings do not prove taping prevents reinjury or preserves performance.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Position- and Sex-Related Differences in Sagittal and Frontal Plane Concentric Isokinetic Hip Muscle Peak Torques and Agonist-Antagonist Ratios.International journal of sports physical therapyHip extensor and abductor peak torques were greater when tested lying down compared to standing. Flexion-extension ratios were higher in standing. Test results from different positions should not be compared directly or against normative data from the other position.
• PTOther2024Dominant Arm Internal and External Rotation Strength is Related to Arm Pain in Youth Baseball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyIn 65 youth baseball players, more frequent arm pain during throwing was weakly related to lower dominant shoulder external and internal rotation strength. Shoulder range-of-motion measures did not track with pain. It does not show that strengthening shoulder muscles reduces pain.