Objective  To systematically evaluate the effect of arm sling on shoulder subluxation in stroke patients with hemiplegia. METHODS  CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, OVID, EBM Reviews, Best Practice, ACP Journal Club, and Practice Guidline were searched from establishment to March 2023. The literature on randomized controlled trials of arm sling on gait or balance in post-stroke patients with hemiplegia were included. RevMan 5.4.1 software was used for meta-analysis. Results  A total of 13 articles were included, including 691 subjects, 343 in the experimental group, and 348 in the control group. The meta-analysis results showed that patients wearing the boom arm were effective in improving the recovery of upper extremity function [mean difference (MD)=8.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) (2.39, 11.60), P＜0.000 01], relieving pain due to shoulder subluxation [MD=−1.13, 95%CI (−1.70, −0.56), P=0.000 1], and enhancement of patients’ quality of life in daily activities [MD=15.07, 95%CI (3.24, 26.90), P=0.01], all of which were superior to the control group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of Apnea-Hypopnea Index [MD=−1.86, 95%CI (−3.79, 0.06), P=0.06], 6 min walking test [MD=−0.51, 95%CI (−18.52, 17.49), P=0.96], 10 meter walk time [MD=0.00, 95%CI (−0.06, 0.06), P=0.91], heart rate [MD=−0.22, 95%CI (−5.10, 4.27), P=0.93], and Berg balance scale [MD=−2.53, 95%CI (−8.17, 3.10), P=0.38]. Conclusion  The use of arm sling can effectively improve patients’ quality of life, functional recovery of the upper limbs and reduce pain, providing an evidence-based basis for healthcare professionals to treat patients with proven treatment modalities.

Citation： XIE Yuxin, JIA Aihong, TIAN Qi. Effect of arm sling on shoulder subluxation in stroke patients with hemiplegia: a meta-analysis. West China Medical Journal, 2024, 39(1): 63-70. doi: 10.7507/1002-0179.202305038 Copy