Effectiveness of Augmented Reality for Lower Limb Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review

Table 1

The basic characteristics of the included studies.

Reference	Objective	Participant	Intervention	Intervention frequency	Outcome test
AR intervention for lower limb rehabilitation of elderly adults
Chen et al. [30]	Investigated the effects of AR-assisted training with selected Tai Chi movements on balance and muscle strength of older adults.	Elderly men (); Experimental group (, age, years); Control group (, age, years)	Experimental group: AR-assisted training with selected Tai Chi movements; Control group: 24-form Yang-style Tai Chi movements	30 min per time with 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks	Balance: Berg balance scale test, timed up and go test, functional reach test; Muscle strength: lower limb muscle strength test
Yoo et al. [24]	Investigated the effects of AR-based Otago exercise on balance, gait, and fall efficacy of older adults.	Elderly women (); Experimental group (, age, years); Control group (, age, years)	Experimental group: AR-based Otago exercise for muscle strengthening and balance training; Control group: Otago exercise for muscle strengthening and balance training	60 minutes per time with 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks	Balance: Berg balance scale test; Gait: velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length; Fall: fall efficacy test
Lee et al. [25]	Investigated the effects of AR-based Otago exercise on balance, muscle strength, and physical factors in falls of older adults.	Elderly women (); Experimental group (, age, years); Control group 1 (, age, years); Control group 2 (, age, years)	Experimental group: AR-based Otago exercise for muscle strengthening and balance training; Control group 1: yoga; Control group 2: elastic band exercise program	60 minutes per time with 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks	Balance: foot print test; Muscle strength: lower limb muscle strength test; Fall: short Morse fall scale test
Im et al. [26]	Investigated the effects of 3D interactive AR system on balance and kinematic function of older adults.	Elderly adults (, age, years)	3D interactive AR system	30 minutes per time for 10 sessions in 12 weeks	Balance: Berg balance scale test; timed up and go test; Gait: hip and knee joint angle
Jeon and Kim [29]	Investigated the effects of AR-based muscle reduction prevention exercise program on muscle parameters, physical performance, and exercise self-efficacy of older adults.	Elderly women (); Experimental group (, years); Control group (, years)	Experimental group: AR-based muscle reduction prevention exercise program; Control group: NA	30 minutes per time with 5 sessions per week for 12 weeks	Muscle mass: bioelectrical impedance analysis; Muscle function: gait speed and hand grip strength; Physical performance: senior fitness test; Exercise self-efficacy: exercise self-efficacy scale
Chen et al. [28]	Investigated the effects of AR-based exergame system on fall risk of older adults.	Elderly adults (, age, years)	AR-based exergame system	One time	User experience: user experience questionnaire
Ku et al. [27]	Investigated the effects of 3D interactive AR system on the balance and mobility of older adults.	Elderly adults (); Experimental group (, years); Control group (, years)	Experimental group: 3D interactive AR system training; Control group: conventional physical fitness program	Conventional physical fitness program: 30 min per time with 3 sessions per week for 1 month; 3D interactive AR system training: 30 min per time with 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks	Balance and mobility: lower-extremity clinical scale scores, fall index, automatic balance score
AR intervention for lower limb rehabilitation of stroke patients
Lee et al. [34]	Investigated the effects of AR-based postural control training on balance and gait function of stroke patients.	Stroke patients (); Experimental group (, age, years); Control group (, age, years)	Experimental group: AR-based postural control training+ general physical therapy program; Control group: general physical therapy program	General physical therapy program: 30 minutes per time with 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks; Additional AR-based postural control training: 30 minutes per time with 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks	Balance: Berg balance scale test, timed up and go test; Gait: velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length
Park et al. [35]	Investigated the effects of AR-based postural control training on balance and gait function of stroke patients.	Stroke patients (); Experimental group (, years); Control group (, years)	Experimental group: AR-based postural control training+ conventional physical therapy; Control group: conventional physical therapy	Conventional physical therapy: 60 minutes per time with 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks; Additional AR-based postural control training: 30 minutes per time with 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks	Balance: Berg balance scale test; Gait: 10-meter walk test
Kim et al. [33]	Investigated the effects of AR-based functional electrical stimulation during treadmill gait training on balance, gait, sand muscle trength of stroke patients.	Stroke patients (); Experimental group (, age, years); Control group 1 (, age, years); Control group 2 (, age, years)	Experimental group: AR-based functional electrical stimulation during treadmill gait training; Control group 1: functional electrical stimulation during treadmill gait training; Control group 2: treadmill gait training	20 minutes per time with 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks	Balance: Berg balance scale test; Gait: timed up and go test; Muscle strength: lower limb muscle strength test
Jung et al. [32]	Investigated the effects of AR-based EMG-triggered functional electric simulation on the range of motion, muscle activation, and muscle strength of ankle joint of stroke patients.	Stroke patients (); Experimental group (, age, years); Control group (, age, years)	Experimental group: AR-based EMG-triggered functional electric simulation; Control group: EMG-triggered functional electric simulation	20 minutes per time with 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks	Muscle activation (ankle); Muscle strength (ankle); Ankle range of motion
Jaffe et al. [31]	Investigated the effects of AR-based walking program on the walking function of patients with poststroke hemiplegia.	Stroke patients (, age, years)	AR-based obstacle training program; Obstacle training program	60 minutes per time with 6 sessions for 2 weeks	Gait: gait velocity, step length, ability to step over obstacles, and walking endurance
Held et al. [36]	Investigated the effects of AR for gait impairment after stroke system on overground walking function of a stroke patient.	Stroke patient (, age, 74 years)	Experimental group: AR for gait impairment after stroke system; Control group: clinical gait assessments	One time	Gait: hip, knee, and ankle joint angle, position of the center of mass
AR intervention for lower limb rehabilitation of Parkinson patients
Espay et al. [37]	Investigated the effects of at-home training with a closed-loop AR cueing device on the walking function of Parkinson patients.	Parkinson patients (, age, years)	At-home training with closed-loop AR cueing device	30 minutes per timetwice daily for 2 weeks	Gait: gait velocity, stride length, cadence, and freezing of gait questionnaire
Janssen et al. [39]	Investigated the effects of AR visual cues on freezing of gait and turning in place of Parkinson patients experiencing freezing of gait.	Parkinson patients (, age, median 69 years)	AR visual cues	One time	Freezing of gait: percent time frozen, number, and duration; Axial kinematics: medial COM deviation and head-pelvis separation; Gait: cadence, step height, and stride time
Palacios-Navarro et al. [38]	Investigated the effects of AR-based rehabilitation games on the walking function of Parkinson patients.	Parkinson patients (, age, years)	AR-based rehabilitation games	30 min per time with 4 sessions per week for 5 weeks	Gait: 10-meter walk test score

Note: AR: augmented reality; COM: center of mass; NA: not available.