Digital Care
Trial question
What is the effect of digital care program in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?
Study design
Single center
Open label
RCT
Population
Characteristics of study participants
76.0% female
24.0% male
N = 128
128 patients (97 female, 31 male).
Inclusion criteria: untreated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
Key exclusion criteria: nonidiopathic etiology of scoliosis; other spinal disorders; limb-length discrepancy; withdrew from the study or failed to engage in any exercise regimen for 28 consecutive days.
Interventions
N=64 digital care (fully remote and home-based physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercise training supported by a digital care system).
N=64 usual care (three treatment sessions plus home-based physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercise training without supervision).
Primary outcome
Mean reduction in Cobb angle of major curve at 6 months
8.36
4.13
8.4 degrees
6.3 degrees
4.2 degrees
2.1 degrees
0.0 degrees
Digital
care
Usual
care
Significant
increase ▲
Significantly greater reduction in mean Cobb angle of the major curve at 6 months (8.36 degrees vs. 4.13 degrees; MD 4.23, 95% CI 2.39 to 6.08).
Secondary outcomes
No significant difference in mean reduction in angle of trunk rotation at 6 months (0.87 degrees vs. 0.49 degrees; MD 0.38, 95% CI -0.24 to 1).
Significantly greater reduction in mean pelvic obliquity angle at 6 months (1.52 degrees vs. 0.29 degrees; MD 1.23, 95% CI 0.19 to 2.27).
Significantly greater reduction in mean maximum value of the support phase at 6 months (1.85 degrees vs. 1.08 degrees; MD 0.76, 95% CI 0.1 to 1.42).
Conclusion
In untreated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, digital care was superior to usual care with respect to mean reduction in Cobb angle of the major curve at 6 months.
Reference
Wangshu Yuan, Weihong Shi, Lixia Chen et al. Digital Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercises for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Feb 3;8(2):e2459929.
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