INITIAL RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF SCHROTH SCOLIOSIS-SPECIFIC SPINAL REHABILITATION

The prospective study reported here was instituted in 1987 to obtain m ore detailed data on the efficacy of scoliosis-specific spinal rehabil itation after Schroth. Inclusion criteria were 1) idiopathic scoliosis , 2) Risser stage < 4, 3) no treatment with corset or electrical stimu lation, 4) first examination between 1 and 3 years postoperatively, 5) usable total X-rays taken with the patient standing not more than 6 m onths prior to admission. A total of 181 scoliosis patients with an av erage age of 12.76 years and an average Cobb angle of 27 degrees were included in the study. The average Risser's sign was 1.4 and the avera ge follow-up period was 33 months. No cases of relative progression (a nnual increase in curvature of 5 degrees or more) were observed. For t he purpose of comparison with the spontaneous course, the patients wer e grouped by age and severity of scoliosis. Both the absence of any re lative progression as well as direct comparison of the development of scoliosis under therapy with the spontaneous course confirmed the effi cacy of the stationary rehabilitation programme notably in cases with poor prognosis, i.e. with large scoliosis angles and unfavourable curv atures.