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Applied Sciences
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Novel Approaches of Physical Therapy-Based Rehabilitation: 2nd Edition
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Novel Approaches of Physical Therapy-Based Rehabilitation: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2027 | Viewed by 2411

Editors

Prof. Dr. Andreia Noites

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Guest Editor
Department of Physiotherapy and Center for Rehabilitation Research (CIR), School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: physical therapy; rehabilitation; integumentary physical therapy; electrotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Andreia S. P. Sousa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiotherapy and Center for Rehabilitation Research (CIR), School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: biomechanics; rehabilitation; human movement; postural control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on innovative and novel approaches in the field of physical therapy that improve rehabilitation outcomes for diverse populations. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research, clinical innovations, and evidence-based practices that will redefine the field of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences.

In the face of evolving patient needs and advances in technology, physical therapy is entering a new era marked by interdisciplinary approaches, precision interventions, and digital health integration. This Special Issue seeks to highlight these novel strategies and foster knowledge exchange across research, clinical, and academic communities.

We invite submissions on the following topics:

Innovative therapeutic techniques for musculoskeletal, neurological, integumentary and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation;

Integration of digital tools and tele-rehabilitation;

Robotics and exoskeletons in physical therapy;

Virtual reality, gamification, and immersive rehabilitation technologies;

Patient-centered care models and personalized rehabilitation plans;

Early-intervention strategies and prevention-based approaches;

Outcome measures and assessment tools for novel interventions;

Interdisciplinary and community-based rehabilitation programs;

Evidence-based updates on manual therapy and functional training;

Education and training innovations for physical therapy professionals.

Prof. Dr. Andreia Noites
Prof. Dr. Andreia S. P. Sousa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical therapy
  • rehabilitation
  • integumentary physical therapy
  • electrotherapy
  • biomechanics
  • rehabilitation
  • human movement
  • postural control

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 716 KB  
Article
Relationship Between Total Clinical Practice Hours During Undergraduate Education and the Clinical Competence of Novice Physical Therapists: An Exploratory, Cross-Sectional, Single-Center Pilot Study
by Hiroaki Sakurai, Ikuo Motoya, Kazuya Takeda, Yuichi Hirakawa, Masanobu Iwai, Soichiro Koyama, Yoshikiyo Kanada, Mami Kawamura, Nobutoshi Kawamura and Shigeo Tanabe
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(16), 8100; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16168100 - 14 Aug 2026
Viewed by 179
Abstract
The clinical skills of physical therapists (PTs) are crucial, as high-quality clinical competence leads to trustworthy patient care, reliable assessments, and effective therapeutic choice. Clinical practice hours (CP hours) may be used to validate theoretical knowledge acquired during training, especially among novice PTs. [...] Read more.
The clinical skills of physical therapists (PTs) are crucial, as high-quality clinical competence leads to trustworthy patient care, reliable assessments, and effective therapeutic choice. Clinical practice hours (CP hours) may be used to validate theoretical knowledge acquired during training, especially among novice PTs. This exploratory, single-center, cross-sectional study examined the relationship between total CP hours during undergraduate education and novice PTs’ clinical competence. The small convenience sample comprised 25 newly recruited PTs employed by the Department of Rehabilitation at a general hospital in Japan between April 2022 and April 2023. CP hours were surveyed using Google Forms. Clinical competence was assessed using the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, employing two tasks frequently performed in clinical settings: range-of-motion exercises and muscle-strengthening exercises. Total CP hours during undergraduate education were significantly and positively correlated with clinical competence for range-of-motion exercise (ρ = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.3450–0.8677, p < 0.001). A positive trend was observed for muscle strengthening exercise (MSex) (ρ = 0.197; 95% CI, −0.3061–0.6029, p = 0.346), suggesting a ceiling effect for MSex, with relatively low correlation but high acquisition levels, even with fewer total CP hours. Overall, this study revealed a significant correlation between total CP hours during undergraduate education and novice PTs’ clinical competence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches of Physical Therapy-Based Rehabilitation: 2nd Edition)
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27 pages, 34400 KB  
Article
A Human-Centered Study of an Upper-Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeleton with Healthy Participants
by André Gonçalves, Nuno Dias, Hélio Mendonça, Manuel F. Silva and Cláudia D. Rocha
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(14), 6907; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16146907 - 9 Jul 2026
Viewed by 509
Abstract
Upper-limb impairments affect a substantial portion of the global population, often limiting the ability to perform daily activities. Robotic rehabilitation systems offer a promising solution by enabling high-dose, task-oriented therapy with consistent and objective feedback. However, user acceptance and perceived comfort are critical [...] Read more.
Upper-limb impairments affect a substantial portion of the global population, often limiting the ability to perform daily activities. Robotic rehabilitation systems offer a promising solution by enabling high-dose, task-oriented therapy with consistent and objective feedback. However, user acceptance and perceived comfort are critical for their successful adoption. This work presents a feasibility, performance, and comfort evaluation of a 2-degree-of-freedom upper-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton capable of performing elbow flexion/extension and forearm pronation/supination. A total of 47 healthy participants were enrolled and tested across three rehabilitation modalities: passive assist, active assist, and active resist. Passive assist enabled full range-of-motion execution, active assist supported movement, and active resist provided variable resistance via a sliding bar (0–100%). Objective performance metrics, including position, current, and temperature, were recorded and analyzed, revealing trajectory-tracking errors during passive assistance of 4.82° ± 0.02° for forearm movement and 1.20° ± 0.04° for elbow movement, with actuator temperatures remaining below their rated limits throughout the study. The active assist mode did not achieve a true assist-as-needed performance, indicating a need for further refinement. Subjective evaluation included the System Usability Scale, yielding a score of 87.1 ± 9.6, indicating excellent usability, and a safety and comfort assessment averaging 4.4 ± 0.4 out of 5. Perceived effort was assessed using the Borg CR-10 scale and generally scaled appropriately across modalities, although some variability suggests the need for further investigation. Qualitative feedback identified areas for improvement, particularly in ergonomics and control behavior. Overall, the results support the feasibility, usability, and safe operation of the proposed exoskeleton and provide insights for future device refinement and evaluation with target user populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches of Physical Therapy-Based Rehabilitation: 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 1275 KB  
Article
Biomechanical Biomimicry in Powered Prostheses: Redistribution of Joint Work During Inclined Walking—An Exploratory Study
by Eric Pantera, Quentin Delarochelambert, Arnaud Dupeyron, Nicolas Reneaud and Didier Pradon
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2694; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062694 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 572
Abstract
Human locomotion relies on a proximal–distal organization of joint mechanical work that adapts to task constraints, such as those imposed by inclined walking. In individuals with transtibial amputation, loss of the biological ankle disrupts this organization, leading to proximal alterations and inter-limb asymmetries. [...] Read more.
Human locomotion relies on a proximal–distal organization of joint mechanical work that adapts to task constraints, such as those imposed by inclined walking. In individuals with transtibial amputation, loss of the biological ankle disrupts this organization, leading to proximal alterations and inter-limb asymmetries. Active mechatronic prosthetic feet have been developed within a biomechanical biomimicry framework to restore distal positive mechanical work. This exploratory study quantified the effects of an active mechatronic prosthetic foot on joint mechanical work during inclined walking. Four individuals with transtibial amputation performed instrumented treadmill walking at −3°, 0°, and +3° using their habitual passive foot and a powered foot. Positive and negative mechanical work at the ankle, knee, and hip were computed using inverse dynamics and compared with a normative reference database (n = 20). The powered foot induced modest, task-dependent modifications, mainly at the ankle and knee. In downhill walking, it promoted a more symmetrical redistribution of negative mechanical work, particularly at the knee, suggesting a partial reduction in contralateral overload. In uphill walking, distal assistance increased prosthetic-side positive work, reflecting slope-dependent reallocation rather than normalization. Although a multivariate deviation score indicated reduced deviation under the powered condition, full convergence toward the asymptomatic organization was not achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches of Physical Therapy-Based Rehabilitation: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 1593 KB  
Article
Distribution Analysis Quantifies Motor Disability in Post-Stroke Patients
by Alessandro Scano, Cristina Brambilla, Eleonora Guanziroli, Valentina Lanzani, Nicol Moscatelli, Alessandro Specchia, Lorenzo Molinari Tosatti and Franco Molteni
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1594; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031594 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 529
Abstract
Stroke frequently results in persistent upper limb impairments, which are often accompanied by compensatory movement strategies that are not fully captured by conventional clinical assessment scales. Quantitative kinematic analyses may provide more objective and sensitive measures of motor dysfunction. In this study, we [...] Read more.
Stroke frequently results in persistent upper limb impairments, which are often accompanied by compensatory movement strategies that are not fully captured by conventional clinical assessment scales. Quantitative kinematic analyses may provide more objective and sensitive measures of motor dysfunction. In this study, we propose a probabilistic, distribution-based analysis of upper limb kinematics to quantify motor disability in post-stroke patients. We analyzed reaching movement data acquired with a markerless Kinect V2 system from 36 post-stroke patients and age-matched healthy controls. Wrist velocity profiles were characterized using distribution metrics, including variance, skewness, kurtosis, and entropy, and divergence measures (Hellinger distance, Kullback–Leibler divergence, and Jensen–Shannon divergence). Group differences between patients and controls, as well as across impairment levels stratified by the Fugl-Meyer (FM) score, were evaluated. Several distribution metrics significantly discriminated patients from controls and scaled with motor impairment severity. In particular, divergence-based measures showed a strong association with FM scores, indicating increasing deviation from normative movement patterns with greater impairment. These findings demonstrate that distribution-based metrics focusing on kinematic analysis provide a clinically meaningful, objective descriptor of motor dysfunction and complement conventional biomechanical assessments, offering a sensitive framework for quantifying motor disability after stroke. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches of Physical Therapy-Based Rehabilitation: 2nd Edition)
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