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 34 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2025Elite Tennis Players with a Weak Rotator Cuff: The Paradox of Infraspinatus Atrophy - A Clinical Commentary and Practical Approach.International journal of sports physical therapyInfraspinatus atrophy is common in overhead athletes, affecting about 60% of male and 52% of female tennis players. It often causes no pain or perceived weakness, but leads to measurable strength and proprioception deficits. Screening and early management are recommended despite the lack of symptoms.
• PTSurvey2025Postoperative anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation: A survey in Gauteng, South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyMost Gauteng physiotherapists claim to use accelerated ACL rehab, but only 20% follow the actual protocol. Practice varies widely: 66% start after surgery rather than before, and 59% use braces for 4-6 weeks despite evidence against routine bracing.
• PTProtocol2025Lifestyle Intervention in People With Overweight and Obesity and Chronic Low Back Pain: Study Protocol for an International Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Physical therapyNo results are available.
• PTOTRCT2025Multi-wave locked system laser therapy in chronic non-specific neck pain: a double-blind placebo randomized-controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineMLS laser therapy did not reduce pain or disability more than a fake laser in chronic neck pain. It did increase head rotation and bending range of motion, but the pain relief was not clinically meaningful for patients.
• PTOTRCT2025Increased Free-Living Brisk Walking Cadence Following a Physical Activity Behavior Intervention After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationVeterans who added a behavior change program to standard knee replacement rehab walked significantly more minutes per day at a brisk pace than those receiving health education alone. This increase lasted six months. Total walking time, sitting, and standing did not change.
• PTCohort2025Return to Work Following Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A One-Year Prospective Cohort Study in Participants with Direct Referral from Hospital to Occupational Health Care Services.Journal of occupational rehabilitationIn 209 workers after hip or knee arthroplasty, mean return to work was 68 days for hip and 87 days for knee. The paper reports 33% and 25% shorter times than earlier cohorts, but the pathway combined several supports at once.
• PTOTQualitative2025Primary care barriers and facilitators to nonpharmacologic treatments for low back pain: A qualitative pilot study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPrimary care providers in safety-net clinics cited cost, lack of insurance coverage, and poor connections to community providers as major barriers to nonpharmacologic low back pain care. They noted that embedded services and community health worker support for logistics could help.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Low-value interventions to deimplement: A secondary analysis of a systematic review of low back pain clinical practice guidelines.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationGuidelines recommend stopping traction, TENS, therapeutic ultrasound, and SSRIs for low back pain. These treatments were flagged as low-value by five or more guidelines. Clinicians should consider deimplementing them to avoid unnecessary care.
• PTOTOther2025Musculoskeletal Health and Work: Development and Internal-External Cross-Validation of a Model to Predict Risk of Work Absence and Presenteeism in People Seeking Primary Healthcare.Journal of occupational rehabilitationModels using self-reported history, pain, and job type accurately predicted 6-month work absence and presenteeism in adults with musculoskeletal disorders. Prior absence was the strongest predictor of future absence, while comorbidities and long pain duration predicted poor work performance.
• PTOTPilot2026Evaluation of the Acceptability and Feasibility of Stress Mitigation Education and Support Delivered via Telehealth for People After Road Traffic Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic Injury.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEleven adults after road traffic injury found a five-session telehealth programme acceptable. They valued consistent social support and coaching, which helped them navigate insurance claims and use pain self-management strategies. No clinical outcomes were measured, so this shows feasibility, not effectiveness.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Resistance Exercise Training on Musculoskeletal, Metabolic and Psychological Health in Sedentary Office Workers - Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationResistance training improved neck and shoulder strength and reduced discomfort in office workers, but showed no significant benefit for metabolic or mental health outcomes. The evidence quality is very low due to high bias and inconsistency, so these results are not yet reliable for clinical practice.
• PTOTCohort2026Factors Associated with the Timing of Initial Visit to Healthcare Providers for Injured Workers with Low Back Pain Claims: A Multijurisdiction Retrospective Cohort.Journal of occupational rehabilitationInjured workers with low back pain who went straight to a physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor waited longer for that first visit than those who saw a GP first. The delay was greatest for workers in remote areas and in South Australia.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effectiveness and Characteristics of Work Participation Interventions for Adults with Musculoskeletal Upper Limb Conditions: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationExercise interventions showed positive effects on return to work and productivity, unlike multidisciplinary or ergonomic approaches which had mixed or null results. However, evidence quality was low, with few high-quality trials, so these findings should guide cautious trial rather than definitive protocol changes.
• PTSystematic Review2025Analyzing research trends and developments in osseointegration in patients with extremity amputations: Systematic bibliometric analysis and research recommendations.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalResearch on bone-anchored prostheses for limb amputations has grown, with most work on lower-extremity osseointegration, rehabilitation, quality of life, complications, and implant treatment. It maps topics and gaps, not patient outcomes.
• PTOTOther2025Reliability and Construct Validity of the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire Domains in Patients with Persistent Low Back Pain.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe WORQ reliably tracks physical limitations in patients with persistent low back pain but struggles to detect mild psychological or cognitive issues. It is useful for screening work-related disability, but its scores cannot reliably predict individual physical capacity or guide specific treatment changes over time.
• PTOTOther2026Changes in Pregabalin Dispensing to Australians with Workers' Compensation Claims for Low Back Pain Following the Listing of Pregabalin on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.Journal of occupational rehabilitationListing pregabalin on Australia's subsidised drug scheme caused dispensing to workers' compensation patients with low back pain to increase sharply. The proportion of workers receiving it rose from 6.6% to 17.0%, and time to first dose dropped from 284 days to 84 days.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Feasibility and Effects of Exercise During Working Hours in Acute Hospital Staff - A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSupervised exercise during working hours was feasible for hospital staff. Participants showed improved aerobic capacity, blood pressure, and pain. However, adherence was low, and without a control group, these changes cannot be proven to result from the intervention alone.
• PTOTRCT2026Comparing the Effectiveness of Digital and Conventional Rehabilitation Aftercare on Work Ability in Orthopedic Patients: A Longitudinal Study in Germany.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAll three groups improved in work ability, but the digital app showed no true advantage over conventional care or no care once age and employment were adjusted. The apparent early gain in the app group was due to baseline differences, not the intervention.
• PTOTPilot2025Acute Impact of Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Walking in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationWalking with 50% body weight support prevented the knee pain increase seen at full weight, while maintaining the same amount of moderate exercise. This suggests off-loading allows people with knee osteoarthritis to walk longer without symptom flare-ups.
• PTOTCohort2025Clinical Characterization of Hip Subgroups in Geriatric Chronic Low Back Pain.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with chronic low back pain and hip involvement reported worse pain quality and lower self-efficacy than those with no hip impairments. This subgroup also had less trunk flexibility and endurance. Screening for hip symptoms may help identify patients at higher risk for disability.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Mapping Vocational Rehabilitation Interventions for People with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEuropean vocational rehabilitation programmes for chronic low back pain varied widely in duration, intensity and components. Physiotherapists and medical specialists were common, but team collaboration and return-to-work measures were often unclear. Treat programme labels as descriptive, not proof of effect.
• PTCohort2025Self-reported health outcomes and medical complications at 6- and 8-year follow-up after direct skeletal fixation in individuals with bilateral transfemoral amputations.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationPhysical health scores rose from median 29 before surgery to 47 at 6 years and 45 at 8 years in eight military veterans with bilateral transfemoral amputation after direct skeletal fixation and rehabilitation. Mental health improved at 6 years but not at 8.
• PTOTCohort2026Focal extracorporeal shockwave therapy in shoulder calcific tendinopathy: A retrospective observational study of sonographic prognostic factors.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPatients with shoulder calcific tendinopathy and subacromial bursitis had significantly worse pain and function after shockwave therapy than those without bursitis. All patients without bursitis met the threshold for meaningful improvement, compared to only 5 of 7 with bursitis.
• PTOTCohort2025The Effectiveness of the Back At work After Surgery (BAAS) Work-Integrated Care Pathway on Return to Work for Patients Receiving Knee Arthroplasty: A Study of Three Comparative Cohorts in the Netherlands.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPatients receiving the BAAS work-integrated care pathway returned to work sooner than those receiving usual care. The median time to first return to work was 27 days for BAAS versus 52 and 43 days for usual care groups. Full return to work also occurred earlier with BAAS.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Outcome measures in prehabilitation interventions for total hip and knee arthroplasty: A scoping review.Clinical rehabilitationTrials testing pre-surgery exercises for hip and knee replacements use vastly different outcome measures, making it hard to compare results. Patient-reported scores and length of stay are most common, but few trials align with recommended core domains or define prehabilitation clearly.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Differential effects of sport type on brain versus orthopedic injury and sports benefits in the adolescent brain cognitive development study.Brain injurySoccer and American football linked to higher mild brain injury risk in 9-10 year olds. Climbing showed higher brain injury risk than broken bones. Sports participation associated with better behavior and cognition in children with prior brain injury, though causality cannot be determined.
• PTCase-Control2025Retrospective Case-Control Study on the Effect of In-Person Physical Therapy With Remote Therapeutic Monitoring on Functional Outcomes and Plan of Care Adherence Amongst Individuals With Musculoskeletal Conditions.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPatients who used a remote exercise app alongside in-person physical therapy were more likely to reach their projected functional goals than those who attended clinic visits only. They also showed up for more frequent weekly appointments.
• PTOTCohort2025Return on Investment of the Back At Work After Surgery (BAAS) Care Pathway Compared to Care-as-Usual in Knee Arthroplasty.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA bundled BAAS pathway for knee arthroplasty, including preoperative and postoperative physical therapy, goal setting, activity monitoring, occupational workplace assessment, and coordinated return-to-work planning, was associated with lower employer and societal costs over 12 months.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Carnitine Deficiency in Rehabilitation Ward Individuals and its Association With Activities of Daily Living: A Pilot Retrospective Observational Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn this pilot study, 8.5% of rehabilitation ward patients had carnitine deficiency. These patients had significantly lower FIM motor scores on admission than those without deficiency, suggesting a link between carnitine status and physical function.
• PTSystematic Review2025Impact of Manual Therapy on Instrumentalist Musicians With Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPain reduction was reported after manual therapy in small trials and case reports, but evidence is very low. Many interventions were combined with exercises or ergonomic changes, so no single manual therapy effect can be relied on.
• PTOTCohort2025Seven-Year Intervention Rate and Effect of Early Rehabilitation in China: A National-Wide Hospital-Based Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationEarly rehabilitation reached 68.2% of tertiary hospital patients by 2022. Patients receiving it had lower in-hospital mortality but longer stays and higher costs. The study cannot prove the therapy caused these outcomes because it only tracked billing records, not clinical details.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Associations of Sarcopenia With Medical Events and Inpatient Rehabilitation Outcomes in ACC/AHA Stage A, B, and C Heart Failure Individuals With Disabilities.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationHeart failure patients with sarcopenia had a higher risk of death or transfer to specialized care during rehabilitation. However, their actual gains in daily living independence were similar to those without sarcopenia. Screen for muscle weakness, but do not assume it limits rehabilitation progress.
• PTOTSLPCase Series2025A novel application of transcranial pulse stimulation in rehabilitation: pain management in refractory knee osteoarthritis - a case series.Journal of rehabilitation medicineEight women with chronic knee pain received transcranial pulse stimulation. Pain scores dropped on both knees. The treatment was painless, with only one transient mild headache reported. No control group was used, so this shows what happened, not that the stimulation caused the relief.
• PTSurvey2025Acceptability and Barriers of Exercise in Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation16 of 17 children said osteogenesis imperfecta made exercise harder, including fatigue, joint pain, weakness and fracture worry. They preferred swimming, cycling and walking, and 2 of 17 would add no 30-minute weekly exercise.
• PTOTCohort2026Clinical predictors of post-concussion kinesiophobia severity among adolescents.Brain injuryAdolescents with more severe initial concussion symptoms reported greater fear of movement. Prior musculoskeletal injuries were linked to lower fear of movement during recovery. Demographics and concussion history showed no association with kinesiophobia severity.
• PTOTRCT2025A pilot randomised controlled trial of an online self-management programme for people with persistent pain post-knee replacement (Kneed).Clinical rehabilitationAn online pain self-management programme was feasible but saw high dropout in the first four weeks. Among those who finished, half reported a 50% pain reduction compared to 18% in usual care, though the study was too small to confirm this benefit.
• PTOTOther2025Musculoskeletal changes and treatments in paediatric spinal cord disorders: A scoping review.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with spinal cord disorders often lose bone and muscle, with scoliosis, hip dysplasia, spasticity and fractures. Evidence on treatments is small and mixed, so do not assume any intervention works.
• PTOther2025Capturing Objective Functional Measures Using Smartphone Inertial Sensors: Feasibility and Usability Study With Older Adults.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOlder adults found a smartphone app feasible for recording sit-to-stand movements, with high data quality. However, single-leg balance recordings failed frequently. Users requested feedback and reminders, highlighting that current prototypes lack the motivation drivers needed for long-term home monitoring.
• PTRCT2025Deep oscillation therapy enhances early rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding deep oscillation therapy to standard physiotherapy after ACL surgery significantly improved pain tolerance, reduced swelling, and increased knee movement compared to physiotherapy alone over 4 weeks. Patients in the treatment group achieved full knee extension, while the control group retained a deficit. This supports DOT as an effective early adjunct.
• PTOTCohort2025Longitudinal interaction between muscle impairments and gait pathology in growing children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWeakness in the hips and knees tracked closely with specific changes in walking patterns over time. This confirms that anterior pelvic tilt links to hip weakness, while tiptoeing links to knee weakness. Preserving these strengths may delay the need for compensatory movements.
• PTOTPilot2025Real-time biofeedback monitoring rehabilitation of distal radius fracture.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable prototype used muscle signals to predict hand fracture healing in real time. It triggered vibration warnings when exercises risked slowing recovery. The system worked accurately on healthy volunteers, but has not yet been tested on patients with fractures.
• PTOTRCT2026Long-term home-based physical exercise, pain, and use of pain medication over a year after hip fracture - A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationOne year after hip fracture surgery, home-based exercise lowered the number of people reporting hip pain and reduced how much pain interfered with daily life compared to usual care. However, it did not change pain intensity scores or reduce the number of people using pain medications.
• PTOther2025Estimating the contribution of musculoskeletal impairments to altered gait kinematics in children with cerebral palsy using predictive simulations.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationComputer models of eight children with cerebral palsy showed that muscle contractures, weakness, and bone deformities explained only up to 39% of their gait deviations. For those with mild walking issues, the models could not account for the differences from typical gait.
• PTCase Series2025Enhanced rehabilitation after total joint replacement using a wearable high-density surface electromyography system.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesWearable muscle-signal monitoring after knee or hip replacement tracked individual recovery patterns. High activation did not always mean good coordination, and patient-reported scores did not always match muscle signals. This is a method test, not proof of better rehabilitation.
• PTOTQualitative2025A longitudinal qualitative study on the care needs journey map of primary caregivers of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCaregivers of knee replacement patients described shifting from administrative tasks to quasi-professional roles, facing severe gaps in rehabilitation guidance and emotional support after discharge. They reported anxiety and helplessness when left without clear instructions on home exercises and complication prevention.
• PTOTQualitative2025User Engagement and Experiences With an Online Unsupervised Tai Chi Program for People With Knee Osteoarthritis: Mixed Methods Process Evaluation Nested in a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost users found this unsupervised online Tai Chi program engaging and easy to follow, with nearly three-quarters adhering to the schedule. However, the lack of instructor feedback and technical issues frustrated some, highlighting a need for hybrid models or better digital support for complex movements.
• PTRCT2026Does radial shockwave therapy lead to immediate improvements in pain in people with insertional Achilles tendinopathy? A randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationWith identical exercise and education, radial shockwave did not lower calf raise or hop pain more than sham across three sessions in insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Both groups had small before-after improvements, so any immediate benefit was not attributable to shockwave.
• PTOther2025Effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Resource Consumption on Therapeutic Strategies Chosen by Physiotherapists: Virtual Patient Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPhysiotherapists chose expert aligned strategies more often for easy low back pain cases than for harder ones. In easy cases, higher intolerance of uncertainty and using extra test results were linked to less appropriate choices. In harder cases, confidence did not track choice quality.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effect of exercise-based interventions on stroke rehabilitation: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationExercise improves balance, strength, and walking after stroke, but the best type depends on how long it has been since the event. Trunk exercises help most in the subacute phase, while aerobic training aids chronic recovery. Most evidence is moderate quality, so tailor prescriptions carefully.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Clinical and engagement efficacy of a virtual musculoskeletal integrated practice unit in health system employees: aggregate and comparative results from two employers.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEmployees with back, neck, or joint pain who completed a virtual multidisciplinary program showed improvements in physical health, pain interference, and mental health scores. However, this was a self-selected group with no control comparison, so the specific effect of any single treatment component cannot be determined.