Virtual Reality–assisted Physiotherapeutic Training for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR)-assisted physiotherapy in improving pain, physical function, and balance in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) compared with traditional rehabilitation treatments. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RESULTS: This analysis included 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The pooled results showed that, compared with consistency rehabilitation, virtual reality (VR)-assisted physiotherapy produced significantly better outcomes in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) for pain relief (SMD = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.14-0.65, P = 0.002), physical function (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.05-0.70, P = 0.003), and balance (SMD = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.16-0.72, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Virtual reality-assisted physiotherapy is an effective intervention for patients with knee osteoarthritis, showing superior outcomes in pain reduction, functional improvement, and balance enhancement compared to traditional rehabilitation approaches.