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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 7 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTCase Report2018Non-surgical improvement of cervical lordosis is possible in advanced spinal osteoarthritis: a CBP® case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceA patient with cervical kyphosis and severe degenerative changes reported less neck pain and radiographic lordosis improvement after 30 chiropractic multimodal sessions over 18 weeks. This is a single case, not a pattern.
• PTCohort2018Association of Hip Radiograph Findings With Pain and Function in Patients Presenting With Low Back Pain.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAmong adults with low back pain and a positive hip test, eighty-four percent had hip radiograph findings of deformity or arthritis. Those with moderate to severe hip arthritis had worse low back function, but pain scores did not differ.
• PTOther2018Comparison of pain, disorder, back performance, and psychological factors in patients with low back pain and radicular pain.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with low back pain plus pain into the buttocks or legs had worse pain and disability, poorer trunk performance, lower self-efficacy, more fear-avoidance, and more depression than those with low back pain only.
• PTOTCohort2017Association Between Sedentary Time and Quality of Life From the Osteoarthritis Initiative: Who Might Benefit Most From Treatment?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOnly the most sedentary adults with knee osteoarthritis lost quality of life as sitting time increased. For these individuals, replacing one hour of sitting with moderate-to-vigorous activity showed a potential quality-of-life gain, while light activity did not.
• PTRCT2018The effects of proprioception exercise with and without visual feedback on the pain and balance in patients after total knee arthroplasty.Journal of physical therapy sciencePain decreased in both groups after knee replacement, and visual feedback did not add pain relief; however, it improved front-to-back and side-to-side balance more than training without feedback.
• PTOther2018Extension of knee immobilization delays recovery of histological damages in the anterior cruciate ligament insertion and articular cartilage in rabbits.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn rabbits, microscopic damage remained after 8 weeks remobilization when immobilization had lasted 4 weeks in the ACL insertion and 8 weeks in the articular cartilage. This is animal tissue data, not human practice evidence.
• PTOTSLPOther2018Changes in thickness of the transversus abdominis during the abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre and expiratory muscle training in elderly people.Journal of physical therapy scienceExpiratory muscle training thickened the deep abdominal muscle more than the standard drawing-in maneuver in elderly people. Both exercises increased thickness compared to rest, but expiratory training produced a greater effect. This suggests breathing against resistance may be an easier way to target deep abdominal muscles in older adults.
• PTOther2018Piriformis electromyography activity during prone and side-lying hip joint movement.Journal of physical therapy scienceProne hip extension with the hip turned outward produced the highest piriformis muscle activity in healthy adults. Side-lying abduction in outward rotation did not show a clear difference. This is lab muscle activation, not patient outcome evidence.
• PTSurvey2018Effect of musculoskeletal pain of care workers on job satisfaction.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 87 care workers, more musculoskeletal pain, especially lower back and shoulder pain, was associated with lower professional, job-performance, and relationship satisfaction. This survey shows association, not proof pain caused lower satisfaction.
• PTOTOther2018Could Activity Modifications Indicate Physical Decline Among Adults With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis?American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdults with knee OA who changed how or how often they walked, without feeling limited, had more pain, poorer function, worse global health and poorer balance than those who changed nothing. People who changed stair climbing without feeling limited also walked less in 6 minutes.
• PTCohort2018Physical Function After Total Knee Replacement: An Observational Study Describing Outcomes in a Small Group of Women From China and the United States.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAt six months, the China group walked farther after knee replacement than the US group, but the difference was not significant. They began with lower function and improved more in walking.
• PTOTOther2018Modification of Spastic Stretch Reflexes at the Elbow by Flexion Synergy Expression in Individuals With Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn stroke survivors, spastic stretch reflexes during functional arm lifting were no larger than reflexes seen in healthy people doing the same amount of voluntary muscle work. This suggests the involuntary coactivation itself, not spasticity, drives reaching deficits.
• PTOTOther2018Measurement Properties of the Modified Spinal Function Sort (M-SFS): Is It Reliable and Valid in Workers with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain?Journal of occupational rehabilitationIn 62 workers with chronic musculoskeletal pain, the 20-item Modified Spinal Function Sort stayed similar over at least 2 days and related to the original 50-item version, pain disability, pain and lifting tests. It gives a brief picture-based estimate of perceived work capacity.
• PTQualitative2018The necessary conditions of engagement for the therapeutic relationship in physiotherapy: an interpretive description study.Archives of physiotherapyTherapists and patients identified four conditions needed to build a relationship: being present, receptive, genuine, and committed. Both parties must actively contribute to these states; the relationship does not happen automatically or through a checklist of skills.
• PTOther2018Influences of knee osteoarthritis and walking difficulty on knee kinematics and kinetics.Gait & postureAt a controlled walking speed, knee OA patients who reported walking difficulty had lower peak knee extension moments and a higher first peak knee adduction moment than those without difficulty. Those without difficulty did not differ from controls on moments.
• PTOther2018Performance on a Clinical Quadriceps Activation Battery Is Related to a Laboratory Measure of Activation and Recovery After Total Knee Arthroplasty.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPatients who scored low on a three-test quadriceps battery four days after knee replacement had poorer muscle activation, strength and walking or stair ability at one month. By three months the groups looked alike.
• PTOther2017Wearable sensors to predict improvement following an exercise intervention in patients with knee osteoarthritis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThigh accelerometers plus patient-reported scores predicted hip-strengthening response in knee OA with 74.4% accuracy. A back and thigh sensor pair matched the three-sensor array at 80.0%. These preliminary findings support a simple wearable system for identifying who will improve, pending clinical validation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2018Depression and Depressive Symptoms in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with TBI report more depressive symptoms than peers, but rates vary widely and evidence does not confirm higher clinical depression diagnoses. Symptoms often persist beyond the acute phase, suggesting a need for ongoing mental health monitoring rather than assuming they resolve with physical recovery.
• PTOther2018Effect of a physiotherapy rehabilitation program on knee osteoarthritis in patients with different pain intensities.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 60 people with moderate knee OA, a 4-week program combining pulsed electromagnetic field, ultrasound, stretching and strengthening lowered pain and improved knee motion, quadriceps strength and WOMAC disability. The moderate-pain group had largest changes in pain, motion and WOMAC. All groups received treatment.
• PTRCT2018Reduced Hip Adduction Is Associated With Improved Function After Movement-Pattern Training in Young People With Chronic Hip Joint Pain.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyIn 28 young adults with chronic hip pain, movement-pattern training plus strengthening was followed by improved function. Larger reductions in hip adduction during a single-leg squat were associated with better Harris Hip Scores, but the study cannot separate training from strengthening or prove it works.
• PTRCT2018Effects of stabilization exercise using flexi-bar on functional disability and transverse abdominis thickness in patients with chronic low back pain.Journal of physical therapy sciencePain, disability and transverse abdominis activation capacity improved more with Flexi-bar than with stabilization exercise alone, but thickness did not increase more.
• PTOther2018Lumbar lordosis angle and trunk and lower-limb electromyographic activity comparison in hip neutral position and external rotation during back squats.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor experienced lifters, turning feet out 45 degrees during full squats increased glute activity and lowered lower-back muscle strain compared to straight toes. During parallel squats, turning feet out increased the arch in the lower back during the lift.
• PTCase Report2018Total assessment-reassessment & evaluation using bioKinesiologic (TAREK) approach: case presentation for theoretical formulation.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 20-year-old man with chronic low back and leg pain after a car accident reported feeling better and less post-exercise soreness when exercises were tailored using a detailed TAREK assessment. This is a single case, not proof it works.
• PTOther2018Novel method for evaluation of hindfoot alignment in weight-bearing position using laser beam.Journal of physical therapy scienceA laser-based method for assessing hindfoot alignment matched radiographic results closely in people with knee osteoarthritis. Traditional goniometry showed poor agreement with X-rays. This laser technique offers a radiation-free alternative, though it requires training and has not been tested for reliability between different clinicians.
• PTCohort2018Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome (OSPRO) for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions: Results From the Validation Cohort.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyThe 10-item OSPRO-YF and 10-item OSPRO-ROS improved prediction of some 12-month outcomes only slightly after demographic, clinical and baseline scores were considered. Use them as adjuncts, not stand-alone decision tools.
• PTOther2018Hip Symptoms, Physical Performance, and Health Status in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Investigation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with chronic low back pain were more likely to have hip symptoms: 53.7% versus 13% without pain. Those with both hip symptoms and low back pain moved more slowly and reported worse social and emotional health.
• PTOther2018Anxiety and Insomnia in Young and Middle-Aged Adult Hip Pain Patients With and Without Femoroacetabular Impingement and Developmental Hip Dysplasia.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationYoung and middle-aged adults with hip pain had more insomnia and anxiety than matched controls: 74% versus 14% had sleep disturbance. Deformity type did not change this. Ask about sleep and pain-related anxiety.
• PTOther2017Muscle force distribution of the lower limbs during walking in diabetic individuals with and without polyneuropathy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDiabetic adults without neuropathy showed lower soleus force during push-off, while neuropathic adults showed higher hamstring and ankle evertor forces. Walking speed was similar across groups. These are modeled muscle force patterns, not tested treatment effects.
• PTRCT2017Gait performance and foot pressure distribution during wearable robot-assisted gait in elderly adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 30 healthy older adults, a hip-assist robot increased walking speed, cadence and stride length, lowered some leg-muscle effort, and raised foot pressure during a short walk. This shows immediate mechanical effects, not long-term rehabilitation benefit.
• PTSystematic Review2017Cognitive behavioural therapy and pain coping skills training for osteoarthritis knee pain management: a systematic review.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor adults with knee osteoarthritis, CBT or PCST alone did not reduce pain more than the comparison groups. Some programmes combining PCST with behavioural weight management or exercise reported greater pain reduction, but the effect of any single part cannot be separated.
• PTPilot2017Treatment of Low Back Pain with a Digital Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment App: Short-Term Results.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople using an app combining education, physiotherapy and mindfulness for low back pain reported lower pain at last use than baseline. Without a control group and with high dropout, this cannot prove the app caused improvement.
• PTNarrative Review2018Cognitive Functional Therapy: An Integrated Behavioral Approach for the Targeted Management of Disabling Low Back Pain.Physical therapyFor physical therapists, CFT is a behavioral approach for disabling low back pain after serious and specific pathology is excluded. It targets beliefs, fear, guarding, and lifestyle; three illustrative cases do not show efficacy.
• PTRCT2018Effects of McGill stabilization exercises and conventional physiotherapy on pain, functional disability and active back range of motion in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.Journal of physical therapy scienceMcGill and conventional physiotherapy were not shown to differ for pain, disability, or back range of motion. McGill improved pain, disability, and extension; conventional improved only flexion.
• PTNarrative Review2018Advancing Psychologically Informed Practice for Patients With Persistent Musculoskeletal Pain: Promise, Pitfalls, and Solutions.Physical therapyThis perspective describes psychologically informed practice for persistent musculoskeletal pain. It details therapist training steps like manuals and supervision, and lists techniques such as reinforcement and patient-centered interviewing. No new patient outcomes are reported.
• PTOTCohort2018Prediction of falling risk after discharge in ambulatory stroke or history of fracture patients using Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest).Journal of physical therapy scienceIn ambulatory stroke patients, low scores on the BESTest sections for Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and Sensory Orientation were significantly associated with falls within six months. These two specific balance components may help identify high-risk patients who appear stable enough for discharge.
• PTOther2018The prevalence of the flat foot condition and insole prescription in people with Down's syndrome: a retrospective population-based study.Journal of physical therapy science58 of 215 people with Down's syndrome had flat foot, and 47 were prescribed insoles. First insoles came at 6.4 years on average, so PTs should check feet in children with Down's syndrome.
• PTPilot2018Evaluation of left-right difference of impulse in impact forces at stance phase: comparison of measurements on flat land and stairs.Journal of physical therapy scienceLeft-right knee imbalance while walking on flat ground did not track age, weight, height, or BMI in 8 healthy people and 1 patient. Stair knee imbalance was nearly absent in healthy 20 to 40 year olds and tracked age in those 49 and older.
• PTOther2018Electromyographic activity of selected trunk, core, and thigh muscles in commonly used exercises for ACL rehabilitation.Journal of physical therapy scienceForward lunges and squats activated quadriceps most, while glute bridges activated hamstrings and glutes; sit-ups and double leg raises activated abdominals. These are healthy female muscle-activation comparisons, not ACL outcome evidence.
• PTOther2018The Brighton musculoskeletal Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (BmPROM): An assessment of validity, reliability, and responsiveness.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyThe BmPROM is a short, 8-item questionnaire that reliably tracks physical function and wellbeing in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. It detects significant improvements after treatment and is rated easy to complete by patients, offering a validated tool to measure clinical outcomes across all MSK conditions.
• PTSystematic Review2018Outcome measures for adherence to home exercises among patients with chronic low back pain: a systematic review.Journal of physical therapy scienceMost home-exercise adherence measures for chronic low back pain were patient diaries or questionnaires, and the review found no evidence that they were trustworthy. Only the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire was mentioned as having some support, but it was not clear what kind of support.
• PTCase-Control2018Musicians injuries: Upper quarter motor control deficits in musicians with prolonged symptoms - A case-control study.Musculoskeletal science & practiceMusicians with prolonged neck or shoulder pain showed more abnormal shoulder blade movement and lower deep neck flexor control than matched musicians without pain; neck flexor endurance did not differ.
• PTOther2018Gender difference in factors affecting the medial longitudinal arch height of the foot in healthy young adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy young adults, foot arch height was associated with greater tibialis posterior strength in both sexes, and in women it was also associated with greater toe grip strength and lower hallux valgus angle and leg-heel alignment.
• PTRCT2018Dose-Response Effects of Tai Chi and Physical Therapy Exercise Interventions in Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationNo significant difference in how quickly Tai Chi and physical therapy worked; both improved knee OA pain and function, with 20% response after 2 weeks and 50% response after 4 to 5 weeks.
• PTCohort2018Lower Quadriceps Rate of Force Development Is Associated With Worsening Physical Function in Adults With or at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis: 36-Month Follow-Up Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationNo association was found with worsening on walking or chair-stand tests. Higher quadriceps rate of force development was linked to less worsening of self-reported function, especially in women.
• PTOTCohort2018Preoperative Risk Factors for Postoperative Falls in Persons Undergoing Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A Longitudinal Study of Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPatients who had fallen in the year before hip or knee replacement, or who reported higher depressive symptoms, were significantly more likely to fall two or more times in the two years after surgery. Hip replacement carried over double the risk of multiple falls compared to knee replacement.
• PTOTRCT2018Home-based pre-surgical psychological intervention for knee osteoarthritis (HAPPiKNEES): a feasibility randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationA home-based psychological therapy before knee surgery was feasible but had high dropout. One physical function score improved significantly at six months, but the authors state this is likely a chance finding due to multiple comparisons. Most participants did not complete the planned sessions.
• PTOTOther2018Pinch aperture proprioception: reliability and feasibility study.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy adults reproduced a thumb-index pinch position with average error under 2 percent over two days. Finger vibration made most undershoot. Two patients with diabetic neuropathy also undershot, but this small device test is not yet proven for clinical decisions.
• PTCase Report2018Alleviation of posttraumatic dizziness by restoration of the cervical lordosis: a CBP® case study with a one year follow-up.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 46-year-old man with post-whiplash dizziness reported complete daily dizziness relief and no neck pain at one-year follow-up after multimodal cervical treatment. Several components were given together, so no component can be credited.
• PTRCT2018Effectiveness of a Blended Physical Therapist Intervention in People With Hip Osteoarthritis, Knee Osteoarthritis, or Both: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.Physical therapyBlended physical therapy with online support was not more effective than usual care for hip or knee osteoarthritis. Both groups improved similarly in function and pain, but the blended group required fewer face-to-face sessions.
• PTNarrative Review2018Evaluating equilibrium in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Journal of physical therapy scienceStatic balance may not expose postural control problems after ACL reconstruction. Dynamic tests such as Biodex or Equitest may better identify balance deficits.