Risk factors for inferior shoulder subluxation in patients with stroke

Abstract Objective: Shoulder subluxation is reported in up to 81% of stroke patients. It presents considerable challenges to those involved in rehabilitation. Extensive research has focused on treatment strategies used to reduce subluxation. A better understanding of the risk factors of shoulder subluxation would enable clinicians to provide effective management of this debilitating complication. Methods: A systematic online search was conducted of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED and PEDro databases using appropriate keywords. The search was supplemented by citation tracking from the retrieved papers and manual searches of relevant journals. The search was limited to articles in the English language. All primary studies fulfilling the review's inclusion criteria were included. Four reviewers extracted the data and independently appraised the methodological quality of the selected studies. Discrepancies were resolved following discussions. Results: Of the 36 abstracts identified, eight articles met the inclu...