Rapid Synthesis of the Literature on the Evolution of Gamification in Distal Radial Fracture Rehabilitation

Abstract

Distal radial fractures (DRF) are often encountered in upper limb fractures globally, and their associated complications affect the functional independence of the individual following the injury. The potential of gamification in applied rehabilitation is expanding its horizons in the rehabilitation of conditions ranging from neuromotor deficits to cognitive impairments. However, the synthesis of the literature is aimed at analyzing and summarizing the evolution of gamification in DRF rehabilitation. A comprehensive search and extraction of relevant literature were conducted and reviewed for the applicability of population analysis, interventional methodology, comparative factors, outcome measures, and the type of study. Thirteen studies were included and evaluated, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and bibliometric analyses. The conclusions demonstrated an improvement with gamification and addressed it as an effective rehabilitation method. Based on the analysis of the data that was extracted, the conclusion supports the use of gamification in the rehabilitation of DRF and looks into how it can help improve the person's functional capacity.