Abstract

Objective: This review analyzed available studies on biomechanical changes during the pre-, in-, and postpregnancy 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 non-pregnant 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, and were included in this analysis.

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 the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies, a more comprehensive and explicit understanding of pregnancy biomechanics can be expected.