| Sumario: | Purpose: To assess the effects of gait retraining strategies on clinical and/or biomechanical variables in knee osteoarthritis. Methods: This study was registered in PROSPERO-CRD42023402778. Studies were searched up to June/2024. PEDro scale and GRADE approach were used to assess methodological quality and certainty of evidence. A meta-analysis was conducted using R-software. Results: The included studies employed backward walking (5), toe-out (1), and freely strategies (2). The meta-analysis revealed a significant difference with low quality of evidence favoring gait retraining for pain (MD = −1.12; 95% CI: [-1.61; −0.62]; I2 = 78%; p < 0.01) and with high quality for function (SMD = −0.80; 95% CI: [-1.12; −0.48]; I2 = 0%; p = 0.42). A significant difference also favoring gait retraining was observed for first knee adduction moment (KAM) (MD = −0.20; 95% CI: [-0.38; −0.02]; I2 = 84%; p < 0.01). The comparisons indicated similarity between groups for second KAM (MD = −0.16; 95% CI: [−0.47; 0.16]; I2 = 79%; p = 0.03) and for knee flexion moment (MD = 0.07; 95% CI: [-0.07; 0.20]; I2 = 76%; p = 0.02). Conclusion: Gait retraining improved pain, function and first KAM. Second KAM and knee flexion moment did not modify. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic and complex disease, typically manifesting as pain, stiffness and impaired movement; Gait retraining strategies improved pain in knee osteoarthritis patients. However, pain improvement was not of clinical importance. Gait retraining strategies improved function and first knee adduction moment in knee osteoarthritis patients; Clinical practice maybe improved adding gait retraining to knee osteoarthritis core treatment.
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