The Efficacy of Non-immersive Virtual Reality in Enhancing Upper Extremity Motor Abilities in Children with Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Background/Aims: The primary long-term effects of obstetric brachial plexus damage include loss of mobility and functional upper extremity activities. The purpose of this review was to assess the literature on how Virtual Reality will improve upper extremity range of motion and functional activities compared to standard physical therapy in children with obstetric brachial plexus injury. Methods: These databases were systematically searched using Ovid (1946 2019): MEDLINE (1946–2019), CINAHL (1982–2019), EMBASE (1980 2019), the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Included were RCTs comparing commercial virtual reality games to traditional physiotherapy programmes in Obstetric brachial plexus injury children and evaluating upper extremity function as an outcome. Two independent reviewers used the PEDro scale to assess the quality of the research they included. Results: The review included three randomises control trails studies with a total of 107 participants that met the criteria for inclusion. Using the PEDro quality assessment tool, the studies included in this review were generally of good quality. Two studies received 7 out of 10, and one received an 8 out of 10. Synthesis Method: The findings were analysed using a narrative synthesis. Limitation: Due to the small size, the generalizability of this research is restricted, and it is not entirely representative of the OPBI population, implying that more research with a bigger sample size is recommended. Conclusion: The evidence suggesting VR therapies are more effective than traditional physiotherapy interventions was ambiguous and assessed as low using the GRADE system.