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Review
. 2025 May 28:15563316251341229.
doi: 10.1177/15563316251341229. Online ahead of print.

The State of Telemedicine, Telerehabilitation, and Virtual Care in Musculoskeletal Health: A Narrative Review

Mitchell A Johnson  1 , Tyler Khilnani  1 , Abigail Hyun  1 , Troy B Amen  1 , Nathan H Varady  1 , Benedict U Nwachukwu  1 , Joshua S Dines  1
Affiliations
Review

The State of Telemedicine, Telerehabilitation, and Virtual Care in Musculoskeletal Health: A Narrative Review

Mitchell A Johnson et al. HSS J. .

Abstract

Telemedicine has become an increasingly important component of musculoskeletal care, with recent advances in virtual physical examinations, enhanced patient education, and expanded access to treatment and telerehabilitation. Emerging applications of artificial intelligence, including virtual triaging and remote patient monitoring, promise to further augment telemedicine's effectiveness and scope. Despite limitations and a continued preference for in-person visits among some patients, telemedicine can be a valuable tool for musculoskeletal health practitioners, offering new ways to deliver high-quality, timely, and cost-effective care.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; musculoskeletal health; orthopedics; telemedicine; telerehabilitation; virtual care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Benedict U. Nwachukwu, MD, MBA, reports a relationship with Best in Class. Joshua S. Dines, MD, reports relationships with Arthrex, Conmed, and ViewFi. The other authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Example of virtual shoulder examination with on-screen abduction range of motion measurements.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Example of virtual knee examination with on-screen range of motion measurements.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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