Effects of exercise therapy on the balance and gait after total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The situation is such that there is a lack of research analyzing the effect of exercise therapy during the rehabilitation period of patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to analyze the effects of exercise therapy on the balance and gait of patients after THA. The studies selected for this study were based on the PICO as follows: P (Patient)-patients after THA, I (Intervention)-exercise therapy, C (Comparison)-control and other therapy groups, O (Outcome)-balance and gait. Additional criteria for this study were study design (randomized controlled study), language (English), publication status (journal), and the year of publication were not limited. Eleven studies were included. The effects of exercise therapy on balance and gait in patients after THA were significantly different. Balance: standardized mean difference (SMD), 0.51; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.24–0.78; I(2)=22%. Gait: SMD, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.01–0.76; I(2)=66%. Rehabilitation specialists recommend that exercise therapy be included in rehabilitation programs to improve balance and gait in patients after THA. Further research is needed in the future, including more studies and a network meta-analysis that analyzes the effect size of each exercise therapy.