The impact of social vulnerability on rehabilitation success: A retrospective study of outpatient orthopedic physical therapy.

Social vulnerability was not associated with outpatient physical therapy outcomes in the overall sample, although an exploratory association was identified among patients with shoulder diagnoses. The inverse relationship between SVI and attendance suggests that social vulnerability may indirectly influence rehabilitation outcomes through its impact on treatment engagement. Although these findings are preliminary and limited by study design, they underscore the importance of considering social determinants of health when planning outpatient physical therapy care.