Exergames to Improve Rehabilitation for Shoulder Injury: Systematic Review and GRADE Evidence Synthesis

Abstract

Introduction: The use of exergames has become an increasingly frequent intervention in rehabilitation, referred to as a fun and motivating activity that involves patients. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of exergames in the rehabilitation of the shoulder joint compared to other types of care. Methods: We performed a systematic review and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) evidence synthesis. The search was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS, SciELO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PEDRo. Databases were searched from the first record until July 2021. Randomized controlled trials using exergames as an intervention were included. Results: The search resulted in 1,048 records. A total of 10 articles published between 2013 and 2020 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed for this study. A positive impact was observed in using exergames to increase shoulders' range of motion, namely, extension, flexion, abduction, internal and external rotation, and functionality postinjury. Conclusions: The results of this review provide evidence of the benefits of exergames in shoulder joint rehabilitation. However, more robust clinical trials need to be developed that assess the effectiveness of using exergames as a complement to traditional rehabilitation and assess participants' degree of satisfaction, motivation, and adherence.

Efficacy of interventions and techniques on adherence to physiotherapy in adults: an overview of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis

“…virtual reality, gamification, exergames or tele-rehabilitation, were excluded from this overview. Several reviews in this field include adherence-related outcomes, showing potential efficacy as well as limitations of the use of digital tools [72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83].…”

“…Ariie et al [73] stated that the response to BCTs may be different according to the condition (cf. [76]). On the one hand, studies analysing the use of the same intervention or same combination of BCTs in different intervention groups (according to the categories mentioned above) could be beneficial for comparison purposes.…”