Effects of exergames on rehabilitation outcomes in patients with osteoarthritis. A systematic review

Purpose: To analyze the effects of exergames on rehabilitation outcomes in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Materials and methods: A systematic review was reported according to the PRISMA statement. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in Pubmed, Scopus, WoS, CINAHL, and PEDro (inception to November 2023). Studies that applied non-immersive exergames and assessed physical, functional, cognitive, pain, and psychosocial outcomes were included. Comparisons were other exercise modalities and non-intervention. Methodological quality was assessed with PEDro scale, and risk of bias (RoB) was assessed with Cochrane RoB-2 tool. Results: Eight studies were included (total of participants = 401). The mean PEDro score was 6.1, and seven studies had high RoB. Seven studies involved knee OA and one cervical OA. The most frequent duration for interventions was four weeks. Exergames were more effective than controls in at least one outcome in all studies. The outcomes for which exergames were most effective were functional disability, postural balance, muscle strength, proprioception, gait, range of motion, pain, quality of life, depression, and kinesiophobia. Conclusion: Non-immersive exergames constitute an effective strategy for optimizing several relevant outcomes in rehabilitation. However, more RCTs with high methodological quality are required to deepen the knowledge about the multidimensional effects of exergames in OA patients.