Thompson WR, Scott A, Loghmani MT, Ward SR, Warden SJ.
Achieving functional restoration of diseased or injured tissues is the ultimate
goal of both regenerative medicine approaches and physical therapy interventions.
Proper integration and healing of the surrogate cells, tissues, or organs
introduced using regenerative medicine techniques are often dependent on the
co-introduction of therapeutic physical stimuli. Thus, regenerative
rehabilitation represents a collaborative approach whereby rehabilitation
specialists, basic scientists, physicians, and surgeons work closely to enhance
tissue restoration by creating tailored rehabilitation treatments. One of the
primary treatment regimens that physical therapists use to promote tissue healing
is the introduction of mechanical forces, or mechanotherapies. These
mechanotherapies in regenerative rehabilitation activate specific biological
responses in musculoskeletal tissues to enhance the integration, healing, and
restorative capacity of implanted cells, tissues, or synthetic scaffolds. To
become future leaders in the field of regenerative rehabilitation, physical
therapists must understand the principles of mechanobiology and how
mechanotherapies augment tissue responses. This perspective article provides an
overview of mechanotherapy and discusses how mechanical signals are transmitted
at the tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. The synergistic effects of
physical interventions and pharmacological agents also are discussed. The goals
are to highlight the critical importance of mechanical signals on biological
tissue healing and to emphasize the need for collaboration within the field of
regenerative rehabilitation. As this field continues to emerge, physical
therapists are poised to provide a critical contribution by integrating
mechanotherapies with regenerative medicine to restore musculoskeletal function.
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