The Effect of Balance Training on Functional Outcomes in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal disorder that is associated with balance impairment. Recent studies have used balance exercises for improvement of balance and functional performance among knee OA patients. The purpose of this study was analyzing the effects of balance training in patients with knee OA. Methods: This review included clinical trials in which the effect of balance training on functional measures was assessed compared to other physiotherapy interventions or control groups in patients with knee OA. To this aim, Electronic databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL, and WOS) were searched from 1 January 1990 to 30 June 2021. Two independent reviewers selected the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of the studies. Results: Fifteen articles of clinical trials were eligible to include in this review. Most studies used patient-reported outcome measures, and some studies used performance-based functional outcome measures for the evaluation of functional outcomes. The findings of studies showed that physical function in knee OA patients could have clinical improvements significantly after receiving balance training. However, studies assessing the effect of balance training on muscle strength of the quadriceps and the hamstring had conflicting results. Also, the finding of studies showed that more significant improvement in postural stability and balance in the balance training group rather than the control group. Conclusion: The results of the current systematic review demonstrate balance exercises significantly improve balance and functionality in knee OA patients. However, the effect of balance training on muscle strength was not clearly revealed due to few studies.