The Effect of Exercise on Paravertebral Muscle Thickness and Quality of Life in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

NCT07250295 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 28.12.2021 / 3388
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study population comprised patients with AIS who had applied to the outpatient clinic between January and June 2022. The patients were divided into two groups. Treatment group(TG) was instructed in specific scoliosis exercises, while the Control group(CG) was given exercises for the lower extremities. Each patient was included in a 12- week exercise program accompanied by a physiotherapist. The patients' quality of life, and paravertebral muscles were evaluated ultrasonographically before and after treatment.

Conditions

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Keywords

Exercise; Muscles; Scoliosis; Ultrasound

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Paravertebral Muscle Thickness in Ultrasonographic Measurements

  A standard imaging protocol was employed for the transverse imaging of the thoracic and lumbar multifidus muscles. Pre- and post-exercise measurements were performed by the same physician who was blinded to the exercise program the patient received. This evaluator was a PMR physician with 3 years of experience in the field of ultrasound. For each ultrasound image, the examiner positioned the probe over the spinous process and then moved it laterally and proceeded to image the multifidus and deep thoracic paravertebral muscles on both the convex and concave sides of the apex with the patient positioned prone. Two images were obtained for each segment on each side. The mean of the two trials was employed for the purpose of data analysis.

  12 weeks

• The Turkish version of the Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (Tr-SGA)

  The questionnaire comprises two distinct sections: one pertaining to appearance and the other to expectations. Each section contains a series of questions presented on a 5-point Likert scale.

  12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• The Short Form-36 Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36)

  12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Treatment Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The treatment group (TG) was given exercises for the thoracic and lumbar regions for scoliosis.

Other: Exercise

Control Group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

The control group (CG) was instructed to perform gluteus maximus, hamstring, and quadriceps strengthening exercises.

Other: Exercise for Lower Extremities

Interventions

Exercise OTHER

Patients were expected to attend treatment under the supervision of a physiotherapist. If they missed a day, they were contacted by phone and advised to do their exercises at home. The number of days they missed did not exceed five. Each set included a 30-second rest period to prevent fatigue. A five-minute warm-up and cool-down period was allotted before and after the exercise session. The exercise program was implemented by a physiotherapist with three years of experience in scoliosis management. Before initiating the intervention, the physiotherapist underwent a structured training session, including practical demonstrations, supervised practice, and detailed exercise protocols.

Treatment Group

Exercise for Lower Extremities OTHER

The control group (CG) was instructed to perform gluteus maximus, hamstring, and quadriceps strengthening exercises.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Patients who had been diagnosed with AIS by means of radiographic and clinical examination of the spine were included in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Cases with a history of surgery to the paravertebral region
• Metabolic bone disease
• Neuromuscular disease
• chromosomal anomaly
• Serious autoimmune and endocrine disease
• Congenital scoliosis
• Skeletal dysplasia and serious cognitive impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Scoliosis

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Spinal Curvatures; Spinal Diseases; Bone Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MD, Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 18, 2025
• First Posted: November 26, 2025
• Study Start: January 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2022
• Study Completion: August 15, 2022
• Last Updated: January 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations

TU (1)