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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Dec 18, 2025; 16(12): 110324
Published online Dec 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i12.110324
Published online Dec 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i12.110324
Evaluating the efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in postoperative rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A meta-analysis
Maryam Salimi, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Alireza Keshtkar, Research Center for Noncommunicable Diseases, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom 7414846199, Iran
Seyedarad Mosalamiaghili, Rheumatology Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan 4918936316, Iran
Walter Lowe, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 75080, United States
Aamir Ahmad, Orthopedic Surgery, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley SOM, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
Arash Sharafatvaziri, Center for Orthopedic Trans-Disciplinary Applied Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1914953616, Iran
Co-first authors: Maryam Salimi and Alireza Keshtkar.
Author contributions: Salimi M contributed to the design and implementation of the study and the writing of the manuscript; Keshtkar A contributed to the statistical analyses; Mosalamiaghili A and Ahmad A contributed to drafting the manuscript; Lowe W and Sharafatvaziri A contributed to the revision of the manuscript; All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Maryam Salimi, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, McGovern Medical School, Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States. salimimaryam7496@gmail.com
Received: June 4, 2025
Revised: June 15, 2025
Accepted: October 20, 2025
Published online: December 18, 2025
Processing time: 196 Days and 13.8 Hours
Revised: June 15, 2025
Accepted: October 20, 2025
Published online: December 18, 2025
Processing time: 196 Days and 13.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the functional benefits of the addition of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to postoperative rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. While some studies showed promising improvements, especially with focused ESWT, overall evidence remains mixed due to variations in technique, study design, and follow-up duration. Our findings suggest that ESWT may support recovery; however, more rigorous, standardized trials are needed to confirm its actual clinical value.