Inclusion of a Military-specific, Virtual Reality-based Rehabilitation Intervention Improved Measured Function, but...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Military Health

Background:

• Lower extremity injuries are prevalent in military personnel, impacting function and service readiness.
• Standard rehabilitation often doesn't meet the high physical demands of military service.
• Developing tailored interventions is crucial for effective recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a military-specific virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation program as an adjunct to standard care (SC).
• To improve military performance in service members (SMs) with lower extremity injuries.
• To evaluate the relationship between perceived and measured functional improvement with VR intervention volume.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial comparing standard care (SC) with VR plus SC (VR+SC).
• Participants underwent pre- and post-treatment evaluations using a military-specific assessment and Global Rating of Change (GROC) questionnaire.
• Statistical analyses included repeated measures ANOVA and linear regression to analyze outcomes and correlations.

Main Results:

• The VR+SC group showed improved performance in the military-specific assessment (distance traversed).
• No significant difference in perceived functional improvement (GROC) between groups.
• In the VR+SC group, perceived improvement (GROC) correlated with VR volume, not measured functional change.

Conclusions:

• VR intervention enhanced objective physical function in SMs with lower extremity injuries.
• A discrepancy exists between perceived functional improvement and objective gains, with perceived improvement linked to VR volume.
• Treatment communication and structure may significantly influence patient perception of rehabilitation outcomes.