Resultados funcionales tras entrenamiento fisioterapéutico que incluye la realidad virtual en mayores de 60 años con artroplastia total de cadera: estudio descriptivo

Effectiveness of adding virtual reality to physiotherapeutic treatment in patients with total hip arthroplasty. A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical effectiveness of adding virtual reality via the Nintendo Wii console and its Wii Balance Board to physiotherapy treatment in patients with total hip arthroplasty.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Clinical Hospital San Borja Arriaran, Santiago, Chile.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 73 patients over 50 years of age with total hip arthroplasty were randomly allocated to two groups.

INTERVENTIONS

The control group (n = 37) received 6 weeks of physiotherapy treatment; the intervention group (n = 36) received the same treatment plus virtual reality exercises with the Nintendo Wii console.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The two groups were assessed at baseline and after the 6 weeks of treatment. The primary outcome assessed was the function with the WOMAC questionnaire. The secondary outcomes were the Berg Balance Scale, distance covered with the six-minute walk test, and difference in weight load on the lower extremities.

RESULTS

A total of 73 patients, 37 patients in the control group (20 women; mean age of 70.9 ± 9.16 years) and 36 patients in the intervention group (18 women; mean age of 70.39 ± 9.02 years) were analyzed. At the end of the treatment, the difference between groups for the total WOMAC score was -10.4 points (p = 0.00), 4.7 points (p = 0.00) for the Berg Balance Scale, and 45.2 mt (p = 0.00) for the six-minute walk test All differences were in favor of the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

In the short term, the addition of virtual reality via the Nintendo Wii and its Wii Balance Board platform showed statistically significant differences in the function of patients with total hip replacement, but these differences were not minimally clinically important.Trial registration: This research was registered in the Clinical Trials Registry of Australia and New Zealand, with reference ACTRN12618001252202.

The Use of Gamification in Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroplasty: Scoping Review

Objective: The use of gamification can promote health-related behavior. This article is the first attempt to provide a historical overview of the use of games in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: We conducted a scoping review to map and characterize the games used for the person undergoing hip arthroplasty. To perform this review, the respective descriptors were identified using search syntax appropriate to each of the databases: MEDLINE_ (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), CINAHL_ (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), SPORTDiscus, in the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SCOPUS, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and PEDRo (Physiotherapy Evidence Database). Results: An initial 968 articles were identified, of which 7 articles were included. The domains of the games under analysis essentially focus on aspects of rehabilitation (n = 5), or related (n = 2), and mostly exergames (n = 6). However, the instruments, characteristics, and procedures used to evaluate the games in the included studies have little depth and large variability. Conclusion: Few games exist that support people who have undergone hip arthroplasty. Most of the games under review were exergames to support rehabilitation. Consequently, we recommend developing another type of game with a focus on monitoring, counseling, and/or social support for selfmanagement training in persons undergoing hip arthroplasty.