Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40153270›Full record

ArticleJournal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine2025

Immersive virtual reality rehabilitation after lower limb surgery in paediatric patients.

Ivan Phelan, Alicia Carrion-Plaza, Penny Jayne Furness, Jack Parker, Nicolas Nicolaou, Paul Dimitri

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

6 authors.

Ivan PhelanSheffield Creative Industries Institute, College of Social Sciences & Arts, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
Alicia Carrion-PlazaSheffield Creative Industries Institute, College of Social Sciences & Arts, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
Penny Jayne FurnessDepartment of Psychology, Sociology and Politics, College of Social Sciences and Arts, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
Jack ParkerHuman Sciences Research Centre, College of Science and Engineering, University of Derby, Derby, UK.
Nicolas NicolaouSheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children's, Sheffield, UK.
Paul DimitriSheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children's, Sheffield, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

PurposePatients who have undergone lower limb surgery require rehabilitation to regain movement and function in the affected leg. Unfortunately, physical rehabilitation can be painful, reducing compliance and recovery. This feasibility study aimed to demonstrate that immersive virtual reality (IVR) applications can provide potential benefits of anxiety reduction and pain distraction for children during gait rehabilitation, increased engagement and enjoyment, and improved perceived walking quality.MethodsThis study included 15 children aged 11-16 who required weight-bearing rehabilitation following lower limb surgery. A mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) approach and a multidirectional perspective (patients, parents and physiotherapists) were adopted to measure. Changes in anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7) and pain (visual analogue scale) before and after the intervention were assessed. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with children, their parents, and physiotherapists, focusing on their experiences, satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, and acceptability of the IVR intervention.ResultsResults demonstrated that IVR for rehabilitation after lower limb surgery in children (1) reduced anticipatory anxiety; (2) reduced the level of pain experienced during gait rehabilitation; (3) improved rehabilitation, such that children were walking more than expected and with better quality; (4) increased confidence; (5) made rehabilitation more enjoyable; and (6) was delivered via a system that was easy to learn and accept.ConclusionThis rehabilitation IVR is the first product of its class for paediatric lower limb postoperative rehabilitation. These preliminary results will inform improvements to the system in a future multi-site study with a large calculated sample size to demonstrate its clinical effectiveness and safety in acquiring medical device markings and adoption.

Indexed as

Lower ExtremityVirtual RealityVirtual Reality Exposure TherapyAdolescentAnxietyChildFeasibility StudiesFemaleGaitHumansMalePain Measurementanxietyimmersive virtual realitylower limb surgerypaediatricpainphysical rehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID40153270
PMCPMC13292700

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.