Therapeutic exercises can improve lower extremity functional indexes of people with dynamic knee valgus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: One of the most significant contributors to lower extremity degeneration alterations and its effects on balance and sports performance is dynamic knee valgus faulty movement pattern. Different exercise interventions have been conducted to improve dynamic knee valgus. The extensive research and meta-objective analysis aimed to assess how exercise interventions affected people with dynamic knee valgus' lower extremity functional indicators. Methods: The electronic databases Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), PubMed, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases SID and Magiran were systematically searched from inception to September 2021. Only full-text articles published in English/Persian peer-reviewed journals that met this study criterion were tracked. Two investigators evaluated the methodological quality of research findings separately, employing the Downs and Black Checklist. Once significant data from eligible investigations had been gathered, the results were integrated by applying a random-effects meta-analysis approach. Results: The final systematic review and meta-analysis comprised seven of the 3470 papers deemed potentially relevant. The outcome illustrates that different exercise interventions might be effective in improving dynamic balance (SD mean differences=0.93 degrees, 95%CI: 0.54-1.32, P<0.001) and functional performance (Hedge's g=1.695, 95% CI=1.22-2.17, Z=6.99, P<0.001) in 250 DKV participants. Conclusion: Exercise interventions appear to be an effective method for enhancing dynamic balance and functional performance in individuals experiencing dynamic knee valgus; nevertheless, these results should be regarded as preliminary due to the limited number of investigations and their limitations.