Could the clinical effectiveness be improved under the integration of orthotic intervention and scoliosis specific exercise in managing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? -A randomized controlled trial study

Objective To compare the effectiveness of the integration of orthotic intervention (OI) and scoliosis specific exercise (SSE) with orthotic intervention only via assessing the spinal deformity, back muscle endurance and pulmonary function of the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Design It is a prospective randomized controlled study. Patients who fulfilled the SRS criteria for OI were randomly assigned to the OE group (combined orthotic and exercise intervention) or the OI group (orthotic intervention only). All the subjects were prescribed with a rigid thoracolumbosacral orthosis and SSE program was provided to the subjects in the OE group. Cobb angle, back muscle endurance and pulmonary function of subjects were measured at baseline, 1-month and 6-month follow-up visits. Results After 6 months of intervention, the subjects in the OE group showed better Cobb angle correction than those in the OI group. The back muscle endurance and pulmonary function decreased in the subjects of the OI group, while some improvement happened in the subjects of the OE group. Between-group statistical significance was detected at the 6-month follow-up among back muscle endurance time and parameters of pulmonary function. Conclusion In this study, OI combined with SSE offered better Cobb angle correction and improvement of the respiratory parameters and back muscle endurance of the patients with AIS as compared with OI only. Corresponding authors: Chengqi He, Center of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, China. E-mail: hxkfhcq2015@126.com, Tel: +86 18980601618; Mansang Wong, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China. E-mail: m.s.wong@polyu.edu.hk, Tel: +852 27667680 These authors contributed equally to this work (Chengfei Gao and Yu Zheng). Disclosures: No conflicts of interest relevant to this article was reported. The authors have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose. Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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