ACE Report Cover
AAOS 2026: Novel Digital Therapeutic for Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain
Language
Download
Cite
+ Favorites
Language
Download
Cite
+ Favorites
AceReport Image
PHYSICAL THERAPY & REHAB
AAOS 2026: Novel Digital Therapeutic for Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain .

Randomized and Controlled Trial for a Novel Digital Therapeutic for Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain, a Dilemma in Orthopedics

Two hundred sixteen patients with chronic patellofemoral pain of at least three months’ duration and minimal or no radiographic osteoarthritis were randomized to receive a mobile app–based digital therapeutic program integrating personalized exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (n=108) or standard care consisting of a single face-to-face exercise education session with educational materials and self-directed exercise logs (n=108). The outcomes of interest were changes in usual and worst pain measured by a visual analogue scale, functional disability measured by the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS), quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L, pain catastrophizing using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and exercise adherence. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the digital therapeutic group experienced significantly greater reductions in usual pain (P < 0.001 at weeks 8 and 12) and worst pain (P = 0.008 at week 8; P < 0.001 at week 12), along with improved function and quality of life compared with the control group. These findings suggest that a mobile app–based program combining exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy may provide an effective nonsurgical treatment option for patients with patellofemoral pain.

Unlock the Full ACE Report

You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now

Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics

Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics

Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions

Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics

Or upgrade today and gain access to all OrthoEvidence
content for as little as $1.99 per week.
Are you affiliated with one of our partner associations?

Click here to gain complimentary access as part your association member benefits!

0 of 4 monthly FREE articles unlocked
You've reached your limit of 4 free articles views this month

Access to OrthoEvidence for as little as $1.99 per week.

Stay connected with latest evidence. Cancel at any time.
  • Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
  • Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
  • Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Upgrade
Welcome Back!
Forgot Password?
Start your FREE trial today!

Your account will be affiliated with
and includes free access to OrthoEvidence


OR
Forgot Password?

OR
Please check your email

If an account exists with the provided email address, a password reset email will be sent to you. If you don't see an email, please check your spam or junk folder.

For further assistance, contact our support team.

Translate ACE Report

OrthoEvidence utilizes a third-party translation service to make content accessible in multiple languages. Please note that while every effort is made to ensure accuracy, translations may not always be perfect.

Cite this ACE Report

OrthoEvidence. AAOS 2026: Novel Digital Therapeutic for Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain. ACE Report. 2026;():. Available from: https://myorthoevidence.com/AceReport/Show/aaos-2026-novel-digital-therapeutic-for-treatment-of-patellofemoral-pain

Copy Citation
Please login to enable this feature

To access this feature, you must be logged into an active OrthoEvidence account. Please log in or create a FREE trial account.

Premium Member Feature

To access this feature, you must be logged into a premium OrthoEvidence account.

Share this ACE Report