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Review Article
Online Published: 26 Jan 2026
 


Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction

Osama Saleh Alnafisah, Sulaiman Ibrahim Alsugair, Solyman Abdullah Abdullah, Saud Musallum Albishri, Musfer Salim Saad Al Khathami, Thana’a Al-rashed, Safa Hussain Salman Abu Grain, Anas Ahmad Ahmad, Abdulmajeed Khalid Alzuwayyid, Amgad Ismaeel Gholam.


Abstract
Tele-rehabilitation has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional in-person care for sports injuries, offering solutions to barriers like access and convenience. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of tele-rehabilitation compared to conventional physiotherapy, focusing on clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in athletic populations. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central until 2024. The review included randomized controlled trials, non-randomized studies, and cohort studies involving athletes with sports injuries. The PICOS framework guided the selection process, and study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using appropriate tools. Thirteen studies were included. The results consistently showed that tele-rehabilitation is as good as in-person care in achieving significant functional outcomes such as range of motion, strength, pain, and patient-reported function across different injuries. However, patient satisfaction was more variable. While appreciated for its convenience and cost-effectiveness, tele-rehabilitation frequently resulted in lower satisfaction scores and a stronger patient preference for in-person or hybrid models, especially following major surgeries, due to the value placed on hands-on care and therapeutic relationships. Tele-rehabilitation was found to be a clinically effective alternative to traditional physiotherapy for sports injuries. Nonetheless, its implementation should not be one-size-fits-all. A tailored mixed approach incorporating both in-person and remote sessions is proposed as the most effective approach in optimizing both clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, in a balanced integration of technology into important aspects of in-person care.

Key words: Tele-rehabilitation, sport injuries, systematic review, patient satisfaction, physiotherapy, hybrid model, clinical outcomes, athletic population.


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Alnafisah OS, Alsugair SI, Abdullah SA, Albishri SM, Khathami MSSA, Al-rashed T, Grain SHSA, Ahmad AA, Alzuwayyid AK, Gholam AI. Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. IJMDC. Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901

Web Style

Alnafisah OS, Alsugair SI, Abdullah SA, Albishri SM, Khathami MSSA, Al-rashed T, Grain SHSA, Ahmad AA, Alzuwayyid AK, Gholam AI. Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=301205 [Access: June 22, 2026]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Alnafisah OS, Alsugair SI, Abdullah SA, Albishri SM, Khathami MSSA, Al-rashed T, Grain SHSA, Ahmad AA, Alzuwayyid AK, Gholam AI. Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. IJMDC. Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Alnafisah OS, Alsugair SI, Abdullah SA, Albishri SM, Khathami MSSA, Al-rashed T, Grain SHSA, Ahmad AA, Alzuwayyid AK, Gholam AI. Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. IJMDC, [cited June 22, 2026]; Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901


Harvard Style

Alnafisah, O. S., Alsugair, . S. I., Abdullah, . S. A., Albishri, . S. M., Khathami, . M. S. S. A., Al-rashed, . T., Grain, . S. H. S. A., Ahmad, . A. A., Alzuwayyid, . A. K. & Gholam, . A. I. (2025) Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. IJMDC, Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901


Turabian Style

Alnafisah, Osama Saleh, Sulaiman Ibrahim Alsugair, Solyman Abdullah Abdullah, Saud Musallum Albishri, Musfer Salim Saad Al Khathami, Thana'a Al-rashed, Safa Hussain Salman Abu Grain, Anas Ahmad Ahmad, Abdulmajeed Khalid Alzuwayyid, and Amgad Ismaeel Gholam. 2025. Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901


Chicago Style

Alnafisah, Osama Saleh, Sulaiman Ibrahim Alsugair, Solyman Abdullah Abdullah, Saud Musallum Albishri, Musfer Salim Saad Al Khathami, Thana'a Al-rashed, Safa Hussain Salman Abu Grain, Anas Ahmad Ahmad, Abdulmajeed Khalid Alzuwayyid, and Amgad Ismaeel Gholam. "Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Alnafisah, Osama Saleh, Sulaiman Ibrahim Alsugair, Solyman Abdullah Abdullah, Saud Musallum Albishri, Musfer Salim Saad Al Khathami, Thana'a Al-rashed, Safa Hussain Salman Abu Grain, Anas Ahmad Ahmad, Abdulmajeed Khalid Alzuwayyid, and Amgad Ismaeel Gholam. "Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. Web. 22 Jun 2026 doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Alnafisah, O. S., Alsugair, . S. I., Abdullah, . S. A., Albishri, . S. M., Khathami, . M. S. S. A., Al-rashed, . T., Grain, . S. H. S. A., Ahmad, . A. A., Alzuwayyid, . A. K. & Gholam, . A. I. (2025) Tele-rehabilitation in sports injuries: a systematic review of outcomes and patient satisfaction. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, Online First: 26 Jan, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1764767901




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