Balancing act: A scoping review of methodological trends in standing balance assessments for patients with spinal pathologies

Abstract

Introduction

Assessing balance is critical in clinical and research settings, assisting to identify impairments and guiding interventions. Numerous medical conditions can affect balance, including many spinal pathologies. Though there is consensus on the importance of evaluating balance for patients with spinal pathologies, current research lacks an analysis of current methods and conditions under which standing balance is assessed. This review aims to investigate trends and level of standardization in standing balance evaluation methodologies in current research on spinal pathologies.

Methods

Ovid (MedLine), PubMed, and Google Scholar, were used to locate literature from January 2019 to December 2024. Extracted data included spinal pathology and methods used to assess standing balance. Assessments were stratified into two groups: Qualitative and Instrumented. Qualitative includes assessments scored by a person via predetermined criteria. Instrumented includes assessments measured via instrumented platform. Bilateral Quiet Standing (BQS) is a term referring to otherwise unnamed and non-standardized assessments conducted on an instrumented platform under conditions specified by the individual study.

Results

The search located 4237 studies, where 154 were included after title and abstract review. Full text review isolated 45 included studies. This review located 15 distinct assessment types consisting of 7 qualitative and 8 instrumented assessment types. The most common tests were the Single Leg Stance (SLS) and BQS assessment.

Conclusion

A lack of standardization exists across clinical and research settings. This emphasizes the need for enhanced comparability of balance assessments in patients with spinal pathologies. Standardization is crucial for effective interventions and improving quality of life.