Review of biomechanical deviations among nonpregnant, pregnant, and
postpartum cohorts
Abstract
Objective: This review analyzed available studies on biomechanical
changes during the pre-, in-, and post-pregnancy periods. Data sources:
in the electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane from
inception until June 2, 2021 Study eligibility criteria: 1) the research
object of the literature is healthy pregnant women; 2) the research
direction is in the range of biomechanics, which can be related to the
trunk, lumbar spine, hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint, wrist joint,
foot, muscle strength, muscle endurance, joint strength, plantar
pressure, and motion analysis; 3) with full text; 4) written in English
or Chinese;and 5) cohort studies comparing pregnant women with the same
group of women in the pre-pregnancy period or with nonpregnant women.
Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Using National Institutes of
Health quality assessment tool for observational cohort and
cross-sectional studies to assessment the quality of the reviewed
articles.Synthesized the general information(authors,publication
years,country where the studies were conducted etc.),age of the studied
subjects,investigated periods,sample size,objectives,study
ammetersers,measurement tools,and outcomes of reviewed studies. Results:
Duplicate results were removed,the search returned 2918 reports.Fourteen
studies met the selection criteria. Conclusion: These studies revealed
biomechanical deviations in body stability, motion patterns, and gait
modes during these three periods. Regarding research content, there are
insufficient studies on certain critical biomechanical aspects, such as
the kinetic parameters of the inner body, which are the most direct
factors related to musculoskeletal problems. According to quality
assessment tool , a more comprehensive and explicit understanding of
pregnancy biomechanics can be expected.