Prof. Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai, Shanghai, China (People's Republic)
Objectives : Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common adolescent spinal deformity causing three-dimensional spinal distortion, physical appearance issues and psychological distress. Comprehensive spinal correction rehabilitation (CSCR) is a potential therapeutic approach for AIS. The study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of CSCR on body composition and spinal deformity in AIS.
Design: The study recruited 104 patients with AIS who consulted the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, from December 2023 to June 2024, and divided them into exposed and unexposed groups; the exposed group was subjected to CSCR, and the unexposed group was subjected to conventional exercise treatment (all patients with Cobb angle >25° were treated with brace). Patients' body composition and imaging parameters were collected before treatment and after 24 weeks of treatment, respectively.
Results: The result indicated that there was significantly increased difference in post-treatment fat-free mass (FFM) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) in the exposed group compared to the non-exposed group after 24 weeks of treatment (P=0.007, P=0.006), and significant improvement in the difference in the main curvature Cobb's angle compared to the unexposed group (P< 0.001). Fat mass (FM) and body fat percentage (BF%) differences were significantly decreased compared to the unexposed group (P=0.006, P=0.001), whereas intergroup comparisons and difference comparisons of body mass index (BMI) and body weight were statistically insignificant (P=0.049, P=0.439). For quality of life, the total score of the Chinese version of the Scoliosis Research Society outcomes instrument-22 patient questionnaire (SRS-22) and each dimension were not statistically significant in intergroup comparisons and difference comparisons (P > 0.01) after 24 weeks of treatment.
Conclusion: CSCR was effective in increasing FFM and SMM, reducing FM , BF% , and BMI in patients with AIS, correcting spinal deformity, but did not significantly improve ATR and quality of life scores.
