Effect of conservative management on the prevalence of surgery

From a total of 106 braced cases out of which 97 were followed up, six cases (5.6%) ultimately underwent spinal fusion. A worst case analysis, which assumes that all nine cases that were lost to follow-up had operations, brings the uppermost number of cases that could have undergone spinal fusion to 15 (14.1%). Either percentage is significant statistically when compared to the 28.1% reported surgeries from the center with the policy of non-intervention.

 

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Incidence of curvature progression in idiopathic scoliosis patients

The results of this study are consistent with the possibility that a supervised program of exercise-based therapies can reduce incidence of progression in children with IS.

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An intensive program reduces the Cobb angle by about 10 percent.

These results show that even in severe scoliosis the magnitude of the curve can be reduced by a specific rehabilitation program of physiotherapy.

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Preliminary results and worst-case analysis

This preliminary study begun in 1989 included 181 scoliosis patients, average age 12.7 years, average Cobb angle curvature 27 degrees, average risser sign 1.4, average follow-up 33 months. Results of the preliminary study were compared to natural history as known from literature. The lack of progression of the 181 patients from the preliminary study and the 116 questionnaire patients together exceeded natural history even if all drop-outs were considered failures.

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Scoliosis-related pain in adults

A significant improvement of the described pain symptoms was obtained on using the rehabilitation program according to Schroth.

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The effect on vital capacity and rib mobility in patients with IS. 

All 813 patients with idiopathic scoliosis who completed their first Schroth physiotherapeutic rehabilitation program. The average increase in chest expansion was more than 20% in all groups at all measuring points.

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The efficacy of Schroth's 3-dimensional exercises

The average Cobb angle, which was 26.1 degrees on average before treatment, was 23.45 degrees after 6 weeks, 19.25 degrees after 6 months and 17.85 degrees after one year (p<0.01).

 

Incidence of surgery in conservatively treated patients

The incidence of surgery of our collective was significantly lower than the incidence of surgery of the control group which reported an incidence of 28.1%.

 

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Rehabilitation of adolescent patients with scoliosis

The triad of out-patient physiotherapy, intensive in-patient rehabilitation and bracing has proven effective in conservative scoliosis treatment in central Europe.