Background: Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) has been introduced to improve surgical precision and alignment in knee replacement procedures. However, its impact on clinical outcomes, pain relief, and cost-effectiveness remains debated. This umbrella review synthesizes evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing rTKA to conventional TKA. Methods: An umbrella review was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing rTKA with conventional TKA were included. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2 and ROBIS tools. Primary outcomes included hospital stay, radiographic alignment, postoperative pain, functional outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Results: Ten systematic reviews were included. rTKA demonstrated superior alignment accuracy and a reduction in alignment outliers. Some studies reported shorter hospital stays and lower early postoperative pain scores for rTKA. However, these benefits did not consistently translate into improved long-term functional outcomes, patient satisfaction, or reduced revision rates. Cost-effectiveness analyses indicated that rTKA remains an expensive option, with benefits largely dependent on surgical volume and healthcare system resources. Conclusions: While rTKA improves surgical precision and may offer short-term advantages, its long-term superiority over conventional TKA remains unproven. Higher costs and longer operative times limit its widespread adoption. Further high-quality, long-term studies are needed to determine its clinical and economic value.

Ankle taping (AT) is effective in preventing ankle sprain injuries in most common sports and is employed in rehabilitation and prevention sports.

The present study aimed to compare by ultrasound imaging (USI) the tibial posterior (TP), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus muscle in patients with and without plantar fasciitis (PF). A sample of 42 individuals was recruited and divided into two groups: PF and a healthy group. The thickness, cross-sectional area (CSA), echointensity and echovariation were assessed in both groups by USI. TP, soleus and MG variables did not report differences (p > 0.05) for thickness and CSA. For the echotexture parameters significant differences were found for MG echointensity (p = 0.002), MG echovariation (p = 0.002) and soleus echointensity (p = 0.012). Non-significant differences (p > 0.05) were reported for soleus echovariation, TP echointensity and TP echovariation variables. The thickness and CSA of the TP, GM and soleus muscle did not show significant differences between individuals with and without PF measured by USI. Muscle quality assessment reported an increase of the MG echointensity and echovariation, as well as a decrease of echointensity of the soleus muscle in the PF group with respect to the healthy group. Therefore, the evaluation of the structure and muscle quality of the extrinsic foot muscles may be beneficial for the diagnosis and monitoring the physical therapy interventions.

Background: Robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has gained attention for its ability to improve surgical precision, optimize component alignment, and potentially enhance functional outcomes. Despite these advantages, early postoperative deficits, particularly in quadricep activation and the range of motion (ROM), remain common and can delay recovery. The objective of this study was to investigate early postoperative differences in quadricep muscle activation and the ROM between the operated and non-operated sides following robot-assisted TKA. Methods: A total of 101 participants (50 females, 51 males) were included in the study. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was recorded from the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis during an active knee extension test and a 4-m walking test. The ROM was assessed during gait. A linear mixed model was employed with operated side and sex as factors. Results: Significant differences were observed in quadricep muscle activation and the ROM between the operated and non-operated sides. During the knee extension test, males exhibited significantly higher vastus lateralis activity on the non-operated side (mean difference = 174 µV, 95% confidence interval (CI) [90, 258], p < 0.001) and females showed a similar pattern (mean difference = 238 µV, 95% CI [152, 324], p < 0.001). Additionally, vastus medialis activation was significantly higher on the non-operated side for both males (mean difference = 102 µV, 95% CI [34, 169], p = 0.003) and females (mean difference = 137 µV, 95% CI [47, 226], p = 0.003). During the 4-m walking test, females displayed a significantly reduced sagittal-plane ROM on the operated side (mean difference = 7.691°, p = 0.041) whereas no significant ROM differences were found in males (p > 0.903). Conclusions: Robot-assisted TKA patients exhibit significant early postoperative asymmetries in quadricep activation and the gait ROM, particularly among females.

Introduction: Physical activity is a proposed factor int the development of hip pathologies in male and female. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of gender on isometric hip muscle strength, hip range of motion and gluteus medius thickness at rest, during contraction and onset activation.Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Hip range of motion, hip muscle strength and gluteus medius thickness at rest, (B-Mode) and onset activation (M-Mode) were measured in thirty asymptomatic university athletes without history hip pain.Results: A total of fifteen males (30 hips) and fifteen females (30 hips) with a mean age of 22 ± 6.5 and 20 ± 2.75 years old were recruited. Females demonstrated greater hip range of motion in flexion, abduction and internal rotation in dominant and non-dominant legs (p < .05) but no differences were found extension, adduction and external rotation (p > .05). Furthermore, females showed less isometric hip muscle strength in hip flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation (p < .05) but not in strength ratios (p > .05). In addition, female exhibited less gluteus medius thickness at muscle contraction, less differences in rest-contaction thickness, but no differences were observed for rest thickness or contraction velocity.Conclusions: This study found that asymptomatic female athletes demonstrated greater hip flexion, abduction and internal rotation ROM, less isometric hip muscle strength and different gluteus medius thickness and onset activation compared with asymptomatic male athletes.

Background/Objectives: Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is associated with postoperative pain and loss of function. Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) may serve as an effective adjunct to postoperative rehabilitation. This randomized clinical trial examined whether adding ultrasound-guided PENS to a multimodal rehabilitation program improves pain, disability, pressure pain sensitivity, shoulder range of motion, and muscle strength in individuals with postoperative pain following shoulder arthroscopy. Methods: A randomized, parallel-group clinical trial (registry: NCT06331871) was conducted. Seventy patients who had undergone shoulder arthroscopy were randomized to receive manual therapy/exercise alone (n = 35) or manual therapy/exercise/PENS (n = 35). All participants received the multimodal program including manual therapy and exercises four weeks after surgery for a duration of 12 weeks (five sessions/week). Those allocated to the PENS group also received two sessions (once per week) of ultrasound-guided PENS targeting the suprascapular and axillary nerves. Pain intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)) and disability (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH)) were the primary outcomes, whereas function (Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)), pressure pain threshold (PPT), isometric strength, and shoulder range of motion (ROM) were secondary outcomes. Pain, PPT, strength, and ROM were assessed before and after treatment, and at 1 and 3 months. Disability and function were assessed at baseline and 3 months after treatment. Results: Patients receiving PENS showed greater improvements in shoulder pain (F_{2.72, 182.32} = 7.76, p = 0.007, η²p = 0.10), disability (F_{1, 68} = 5.63, p = 0.020, η²p = 0.08), function (F_{1, 68} = 4.15, p = 0.046, η²p = 0.02) and PPT over the infraspinatus muscle (F_{3.20, 217.28} = 2.93, p = 0.032, η²p = 0.04) than those receiving manual therapy/exercise alone. No between-group differences were observed for PPT at the deltoid or tibialis anterior muscles. The PENS group also showed greater improvements in some, but not all, measures of shoulder strength and range of motion; however, the effect sizes were small and the clinical relevance of these differences remains uncertain. Conclusions: Adding ultrasound-guided PENS targeting the suprascapular and axillary nerves to a multimodal physical therapy program resulted in greater improvements in pain, disability, and shoulder-specific function, with limited additional benefits for some measures of strength and range of motion, compared with physical therapy alone, in individuals with postoperative shoulder pain. However, many of the lower-bound estimates of the 95% confidence interval did not surpass the minimal clinically important difference. Therefore, the clinical relevance of the results should be considered with caution.