Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39711751›Full record

ReviewDigital health

Exploring ways to improve knee osteoarthritis care: The role of mobile apps in enhancing therapeutic exercise-a systematic review.

Teresa Paolucci, Letizia Pezzi, Federica Bressi, Raffaele La Russa, Bruno Beomonte Zobel, Gianluca Bertoni, Giacomo Farì, Andrea Bernetti

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Teresa PaolucciDepartment of Oral, Medical and Biotechnological Sciences, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
Letizia PezziRehabilitation Unit, ASST Cremona-Ospedale di Cremona, Cremona, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-9126
Federica BressiDepartment of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.
Raffaele La RussaDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Public Health, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Bruno Beomonte ZobelFondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9227-5535
Gianluca BertoniRehabilitation Unit, ASST Cremona-Ospedale di Cremona, Cremona, Italy.
Giacomo FarìDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy.
Andrea BernettiDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA), particularly knee OA, is a leading cause of disability and poses significant challenges in healthcare management. Mobile applications (apps) have emerged as potential tools to support therapeutic exercise by providing tailored programs, instructional content, and progress tracking. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of mobile apps in enhancing therapeutic exercise for knee OA management. Methods: A systematic review was conducted, analyzing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the impact of mobile apps on pain and knee function in patients with OA. The review followed the Cochrane Handbook guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO. Inclusion criteria focused on RCTs involving adults aged 40 and above with knee OA, and outcomes were measured based on pain intensity and knee function. Results: Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The results varied: while some studies demonstrated minor improvements in pain and function with app-based interventions, others showed comparable effectiveness to traditional methods. The review highlights the potential of mobile apps to offer benefits in managing knee OA, though outcomes were inconsistent due to intervention and population heterogeneity. Conclusion: Despite the low certainty of evidence, mobile app-based interventions appear to have a positive impact on reducing pain and improving physical function in patients with knee OA. Continued research is essential to better understand the effectiveness and long-term impact of mobile technology in OA management, underscoring the value of digital health interventions in enhancing patient care.

Indexed as

kneemHealthosteoarthritisrehabilitationself-care

Identifiers

PMID39711751
PMCPMC11660278

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.