Applications of MyotonPRO in the upper limb: a scoping review of orthopaedic, traumatologic, rehabilitation, and sports medicine evidence

Upper limb disorders and injuries are a significant issue in orthopedics, traumatology, rehabilitation, and sports medicine, often involving changes in the biomechanical properties of soft tissues, such as tone/oscillation frequency (measured in Hz), stiffness (measured in N/m), decrement (described by relative unit), relaxation (measured in ms), and creep (described in relative unit). MyotonPRO is a portable, non-invasive device used to quantitatively assess these properties, though its application in the upper limb still requires further investigation. This study reviewed the literature on the use of MyotonPRO in upper-limb disorders and injuries, focusing on its diagnostic and therapeutic potential, the assessed anatomical structures and parameters, and the limitations of existing studies. The study is a scoping review, made in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and the search strategy developed based on PRISMA-S. The PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases were searched, with the last search performed on 9 April 2026. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established. Original human studies investigating the application of MyotonPRO within the upper limb in the context of orthopedics, traumatology, rehabilitation, or sports medicine were included in the review. A total of 243 original studies were analyzed. The MyotonPRO device was used primarily to assess physiological variability in muscle properties, analyze side-to-side asymmetry, evaluate the biomechanical properties of soft tissues, and monitor the effects of physical exercise and training loads. In addition, the device was used to assess the effects of physiotherapy and rehabilitation, as well as changes associated with selected diseases and injuries. The available studies indicate the usefulness of the device in the objective assessment of the mechanical properties of tissues; however, they are characterized by considerable methodological heterogeneity, as well as small-sized research groups. There is a need to better investigate MyotonPRO usefulness in the orthopaedics and traumatology, as only 6 studies concerning these fields were found. It has been demonstrated that the MyotonPRO device appears to be a promising tool supporting the assessment of the biomechanical properties of upper-limb soft tissues. However, further studies, such as the ones involving larger cohorts and more standardized measurement protocols are required, as well as studies more precisely defining its usefulness in the diagnostic and therapeutic process of upper-limb disorders and injuries.