[Effectiveness of the virtual reality in the rehabilitation of the upper limb in the spinal cord injury. A systematic review].

INTRODUCTION

Spinal cord injury is a complex and life-disrupting condition. The functional recovery of the upper limb has been considered as an important objective in tetraplegia because it improves significantly the quality of living in these patients. Virtual reality is a new emerging tool of rehabilitation in spinal cord injured patients.

AIM

To carry out a systematic review about the information about the application of these systems in spinal cord injury in the rehabilitation of the upper limb.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This review includes clinical trials dated until April 2018, which investigate the functional recovery of the upper limb through virtual reality systems in patients with complete or incomplete tetraplegia. The following databases were used to search for those clinical trials: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline Complete, Science Direct, CINHAL and Brain.

RESULTS

Five articles were selected for this review, including randomized clinical trials and clinical trials. The main results show a good tendency on the functional recovery with the combination of virtual reality systems and conventional therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The main limitations and the low quality of the studies show the necessity of further investigations with this new tool of rehabilitation. However, the incorporation of virtual reality systems as a rehabilitation supplement might be a beneficial tool on the functional recovery in spinal cord injury.