Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34872869›Full record

SynthesisBrazilian journal of physical therapy

Effects of motor imagery on strength, range of motion, physical function, and pain intensity in patients with total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Raúl Ferrer-Peña, Ferran Cuenca-Martínez, Mario Romero-Palau, Luis Miguel Flores-Román, Pablo Arce-Vázquez, Clovis Varangot-Reille, Luis Suso-Martí

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 5 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

15 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Sport supplementation in competitive swimmers: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2025
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  11. [Postoperative rehabilitation after knee arthroplasty].Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2024
    Review
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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

7 authors.

Raúl Ferrer-PeñaDepartamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios (CSEU) La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Motion in Brains Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Sciences of the Movement (INCIMOV), Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios (CSEU) La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario La Paz (IdiPAZ), Madrid, España, Spain.
Ferran Cuenca-MartínezExercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: Ferran.Cuenca@uv.es.
Mario Romero-PalauFacultad de Psicología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Luis Miguel Flores-RománDepartamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios (CSEU) La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Pablo Arce-VázquezDepartamento de Fisioterapia, Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios (CSEU) La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Clovis Varangot-ReilleExercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Luis Suso-MartíExercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the early stages of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) rehabilitation, in which physical function in general can be affected, motor imagery (MI) might play a relevant role.

objectiveTo assess the impact of MI on strength, active range of motion (ROM), pain intensity, and physical function in patients with TKA.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Pooled effects were calculated as standardised mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relevant outcomes using random effects model. The certainty of evidence was assessed with GRADE approach.

resultsThis review included 7 articles. The addition of MI to standard therapy, based on low quality of evidence, showed a moderate increase in quadriceps strength (4 studies; SMD: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.34) and a small reduction in pain intensity (SMD: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.08, 1.19). It is unclear whether MI can provide beneficial effects for active ROM and function.

conclusionsThere is low to very low-quality evidence that adding an MI intervention to standard rehabilitation for patients with TKA may improve quadriceps strength and pain intensity, but the effects of MI on ROM and physical function is unclear.

Indexed as

Arthroplasty, Replacement, KneeHumansPain MeasurementQuadriceps MuscleRange of Motion, ArticularMotor imageryPain intensityRange of motionStrengthTotal knee arthroplastyTUG

Identifiers

PMID34872869
PMCPMC8721059

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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 Socratic graph.