Since the first physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) board certification in 1947, PM&R's board-certifying Part I Examinations have been created by volunteer subject matter experts (SME) in private and academic practices. The American Board of PM&R (ABPMR) relies on the SMEs to create the exam's content outline that is then used as the framework to craft questions for the exam. Although this is a rigorous process with representative specialties across the entire spectrum of PM&R, it relies on the opinions and experiences of these SMEs. Because PM&R has grown in many clinical directions, in 2023, the ABPMR determined that the content outline should more appropriately reflect an updated scope of practice for the specialty. To achieve this goal, ABPMR contracted a psychometric consulting company, with experience in high-stakes professional credentialing, to complete a practice analysis for PM&R.

Ultrasonography is useful for evaluating cutaneous nerve lesions.

Late effects of polio (LEoP) is a progressive condition leading to a lifelong disability that can affect mental health. There is limited knowledge of depressive symptoms and associated factors in people with LEoP.

Group treatments and interdisciplinary collaboration are recommended in evidence-based guidelines for neurorehabilitation, including physical and speech-language therapy. Evidence suggests that activating overlapping neural networks for upper extremity motor control and speech-language processing produces synergistic effects during therapy. This systematic review aims to overview and appraise the efficacy of group treatments in traditional rehabilitation and telerehabilitation. In addition to summarizing evidence on monodisciplinary approaches in physical and speech-language therapy, it seeks data on integrative approaches involving one or both disciplines to inform further interdisciplinary collaboration.

The fundamental goal of research that develops and tests rehabilitation interventions is to improve the health, function, and quality of life of patients with disabling health conditions. Rehabilitation medicine frequently uses multicomponent interventions delivered by multidisciplinary teams. This care may also occur over time across a continuum of care (eg, acute care, postacute care, outpatient clinics). Thus, research-developed rehabilitation interventions may be challenging to implement and sustain in routine care settings, particularly for disabling health conditions that persist over time. The field of implementation science has emerged in direct response to these challenges by supporting more rapid, consistent implementation of evidence-based practices in routine care through carefully designed, systematic implementation efforts. Implementation science aims to elucidate the factors that influence implementation success (ie, barriers and facilitators), to identify and evaluate implementation strategies likely to facilitate successful implementation, and to study the underlying mechanisms through which implementation strategies produce their effects on implementation outcomes. This article introduces the field of implementation science and provides an overview of the PM&R special issue on implementation science. The article presents core implementation science concepts and approaches and discusses their application to specific evidence-based rehabilitation interventions that are underused in treating disabling health conditions. The successful application of implementation science methods offers the promise of improved adoption of evidence-based rehabilitation practices to optimize patient outcomes and help maximize realization of their societal value and benefits.

Plantar vein thrombosis is a rare vascular condition typically presenting with unilateral plantar foot pain and edema. Of interest to the musculoskeletal clinician, mechanical trauma to the plantar foot has been cited as a risk factor for development of these thrombi.

To determine the effects of neuromuscular training (NMT) on improvements in disability/functionality, pain intensity, quality of life, and balance in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to determine the dose-response association between NMT dose (total minutes of NMT) and improvements in variables of interest in patients with knee OA.

Infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) conditions represent a significant cause of anterior knee pain, yet evidence-based recommendations for their diagnosis and treatment remain fragmented and underexplored. Despite their clinical relevance, no comprehensive synthesis currently exists of the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches used in these conditions. This review aimed to synthesize existing data on clinical and imaging diagnostics, as well as conservative and surgical treatments for IFP conditions.

To evaluate the effects of incobotulinumtoxinA (incoBoNT-A) in children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy (CP).

Hamstring injuries are among the most frequent and recurrent musculoskeletal issues in professional women's football. Range of motion (ROM) limitations and neuromuscular fatigue are potentially modifiable risk factors targeted by preventive therapies OBJECTIVE: To compare the immediate and short-term effects of three intervention protocols-manual therapy, active neuromuscular exercises, and a combined approach-on hip and knee ROM in elite female football players during the competitive season METHODS: Sixty-six players were randomly allocated to one of three groups (n = 22 per group): passive therapy (Group A), active therapy (Group B), and combined intervention (passive and active therapy) (Group C). Hip and knee ROM were measured at baseline (Pre), immediately after a single intervention session (Post), and at 1-week follow-up (FU) and a 24-item questionnaire was completed for each player. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests with Bonferroni correction RESULTS: All groups showed significant within-group improvements over time in multiple ROM variables (p < .001). Between-group analyses at FU revealed significantly greater gains in passive left hip flexion for Groups B (p = .006) and C (p = .034) compared to Group A. Right hip external rotation also showed significant differences at FU (Group B > A, p < .001; Group B > C, p = .011). Mixed-model ANOVA indicated significant time × group interaction effects for passive left hip flexion (p = .014), right hip external rotation (p = .010), and left hip external rotation (p = .041), favoring the combined intervention CONCLUSION: Combined therapy produced superior short-term gains in specific ROM measures compared to isolated interventions. These findings suggest that integrated neuromuscular strategies may enhance flexibility outcomes relevant to hamstring injury prevention.

Clinicians often rely on significant results to inform clinical decisions, with the p value being a common tool to identify statistically significant data. Using trend statements to describe nonstatistically significant results can lead readers to draw misleading conclusions.

Joint hypermobility is a common concern in youth with chronic widespread pain though its relationship with chronic pain is not fully understood. The Beighton Scale is often used to assess hypermobility, but concerns exist about its reliability and subjectivity.

Osteoporosis fractures pose a significant public health concern, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality rates. The emerging evidence on the potential link between gut microbiota, proteins, and osteoporosis fractures suggests a complex relationship that warrants further investigation.

Previous studies on microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees (MPKs) often investigate benefits of MPKs as a class of knees rather than clinically relevant differences between specific knees, despite their distinct features.