{
  "abstract": "Purpose\n\nTo evaluate the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy on upper-extremity strength, pain, range of motion, and functional outcomes.Methods\n\nThis systematic review followed the 2009 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched from January 2000 through August 2025 for studies evaluating upper-extremity BFR during resistance or therapeutic exercise. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials or prospective studies published in English that reported pre- and postintervention outcomes of strength, pain, range of motion, muscle morphology, or validated functional scores.Results\n\nA total of 492 studies were identified, 5 of which met inclusion criteria, encompassing 128 participants. Four studies (80%) were randomized controlled trials, and 1 study (20%) was a prospective cohort study. Clinical indications for the use of BFR included rotator cuff tendinopathy, lateral epicondylitis, distal radius fracture rehabilitation, and postoperative shoulder rehabilitation. Four of 5 studies (80%) showed statistically significant BFR-related improvements in strength, with the remaining study reporting within-group improvements that did not reach between-group significance. Three of 4 studies (75%) that assessed pain reported significant reductions favoring BFR, with the fourth showing clinically within-group pain reductions in both BFR and control. Notable findings included a significant between-group improvement in internal rotation strength at 60°/s favoring BFR in rotator cuff tendinopathy (P = .04) and significant pain reduction in distal radius fracture rehabilitation (visual analog scale: 5.5 → 1.5, P = .03).Conclusions\n\nIn this systematic review, 4 of 5 studies (80%) reported statistically significant strength improvements favoring BFR, and 3 of 4 studies (75%) assessing pain showed significant reductions favoring BFR, with no serious adverse events reported. These findings support BFR as a promising adjunct in upper-extremity rehabilitation; however, heterogeneity in study design and intervention parameters limits definitive conclusions.Level of evidence\n\nLevel IV, systematic review of Level I and IV studies.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Loyola University Medical Center Maywood Illinois U.S.A.",
    "Loyola Stritch School of Medicine Maywood Illinois U.S.A."
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mitchell J Christiansen",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-2444-9355"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sundas Shaikh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mary K Mulcahey",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6125-8169"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1hhgrpswbswv.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1002/ars2.70130",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13710938",
  "id": "d1hhgrpswbswv",
  "issns": [
    "2666-061X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948241",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Systematic Review"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2707|Cardiovascular and exercise physiology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224016816",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13710938?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13710938",
  "pmid": "42948241",
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": "Wiley",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1hhgrpswbswv.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:33Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42948241",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948241"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:48Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13710938",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/ars2.70130"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:2746|Shoulder Injury and Treatment",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Blood Flow Restriction in Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.",
  "title_text": "Blood Flow Restriction in Upper-Extremity Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:21:48Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1hhgrpswbswv",
  "venue": "Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation",
  "versions": []
}