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.