JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies

Knee exoskeletons represent a significant advancement in wearable robotic technology, developed to enhance gait assistance and facilitate rehabilitation processes. These devices are increasingly used in clinical and research environments worldwide. Nonetheless, the existing empirical evidence supporting their biomechanical and functional outcomes lacks both breadth and clarity. Further investigation is essential to elucidate the specific effects of knee exoskeletons on gait dynamics and rehabilitation efficacy.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes progressive central vision loss in older adults. Low-vision rehabilitation can improve functional vision by training the use of a preferred retinal locus, commonly through clinic-based biofeedback training (BFT). However, repeated supervised rehabilitation is burdensome, and functional gains may be difficult to sustain without home practice. Stand-alone virtual reality (VR) may enable home-based, remotely monitored visual stimulation, but feasibility, safety, and usability in older adults with AMD remain insufficiently characterized.

Indoor navigation remains a major challenge for people with visual impairments, affecting autonomy, safety, and quality of life. While navigation‑based assistive technologies leveraging artificial intelligence and mobile computing show promise, their adoption remains limited due to insufficient user-centered and context-aware design.

Access to physical rehabilitation services, including orthotics and wheelchairs, is recognized as a fundamental human right but remains limited in many low- and middle-income countries due to resource constraints, fragmented care, and a shortage of trained rehabilitation professionals. In Cambodia, where the health system still faces challenges from past conflict, these services are delivered through a mix of government, international, and nongovernmental organizations.

Indonesia has the second-highest prevalence of stroke in Southeast Asia, with 4,918,487 people (1.7% of the population) living with this condition as of 2025. This is attributable to the living conditions in Indonesia, where limited health care workers and facilities are available to assist with stroke rehabilitation via mobile health (mHealth) interventions.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death, resulting in a clinical, social, and economic burden upon families and the health system worldwide.

Rehabilitation health care providers (HCPs) report high levels of burnout. Self-compassion interventions have shown beneficial effects on HCP burnout, but they have never been explored in specialist rehabilitation settings where challenges may differ.

As individuals with HIV live longer, many now face the health consequences of aging and multimorbidity, known as disability. Exercise can mitigate disability; however, engagement in exercise among adults living with HIV varies. Technology-based interventions, such as telerehabilitation, may help mitigate geographical, financial, and time barriers to community-based exercise (CBE). However, little is known about the experiences with technology uptake and usage among adults living with HIV. Understanding these experiences is essential to inform the design of inclusive, accessible, and sustainable online interventions.

Serious games have become an alternative support for traditional physical therapy. However, many of these games do not address the emotional needs of patients. People with disabilities often experience emotions such as sadness, frustration, and even anger, which can create a barrier to their rehabilitation treatment.

Exercise therapy is fundamental to rehabilitation for knee osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, yet adherence to prescribed exercise typically declines once clinical supervision ends. Digital rehabilitation platforms offer a promising means of supporting sustained exercise adherence, but qualitative evidence on how patients experience these platforms in real-world clinical practice remains limited, particularly in non-Western health care contexts.

Despite considerable advancements in prosthetic technology, a substantial proportion of lower limb amputees reduce or discontinue prosthesis use, with reported nonuse rates ranging from 12% to 53%. This reflects the multifactorial challenges associated with long-term prosthetic use, among which comfort and skin health are consistently identified as key determinants. More specifically, studies point toward nonbreathable silicone liners trapping heat and sweat, leading to skin and hygiene problems. These persistent limitations underscore the need for alternative interface materials that offer improved breathability, moisture management, and tunable mechanical properties.

Various forms of electrical stimulation have been integrated into the multimodal management of spasticity. However, high-frequency electrical stimulation can potentially induce muscle fatigue. The Exopulse Mollii Suit (EMS) is a multichannel full-body garment that delivers low-frequency (20 Hz), low-amplitude (20 V), subthreshold sensory stimulation aimed at reducing spasticity.