Pre-op Exercise for AIS Surgery
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Pre-op Exercise Program.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). Basic parameters: 10 years — 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Pre-operative Flexibility Exercises for Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if pre-operative scoliosis-specific exercises have a beneficial effect on the health outcomes of surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis affects adolescents between the age of 10-18. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Can pre-operative exercises help reduce curve progression prior to surgery? * Can pre-operative exercises help improve the surgery outcomes, such as a lower number of vertebrae needing fusion, increased curve correction, reduced surgery length, and shorter length of stay in the hospital? * Can a pre-operative exercise intervention result in a reduction of the cost of surgery? Researchers will compare the current standard of care (the control group) to an intervention group (with pre-op exercises) to see if pre-op exercises have an effect on these outcomes. Participants will: * visit the clinic every 3 months to complete ultrasound imaging scans and questionnaires * if given an exercise intervention, aim to complete it for roughly 30 minutes a day
Interventions
- Behavioral Pre-op Exercise Program
The pre-op exercise group will complete a 6-month supervised pre-op exercise program. This program is adapted from the Schroth exercise program we tested for moderate scoliosis, showing good effect on curve angles, muscle endurance, posture, curve severity, and in self-reported pain and QOL scores. This physiotherapy will individualize exercises to specific spinal curvature(s). Exercises will focus on elongating and derotating the spine to improve the flexibility before surgery. The corrective m
Primary outcome measures
- Number of levels fused [Time frame: Indicated during surgical planning, completed during surgery (where it may change from plans)]
Secondary outcome measures (12)
- Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life (ISYQOL) questionnaire [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (SAQ) v1.1 Appearance score [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (SAQ) v1.1 expectation score [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (SAQ) v1.1 total score [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and at first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Pre-operative flexibility measured by 3D Ultrasound Imaging [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months]
- Other Surgery-related Outcomes [Time frame: During surgery & immediately post-surgery]
- Truncal Anterior Asymmetry Scoliosis Questionnaire (TAASQ) Breast [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Truncal Anterior Asymmetry Scoliosis Questionnaire (TAASQ) Clothing [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Truncal Anterior Asymmetry Scoliosis Questionnaire (TAASQ) Appearance [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Truncal Anterior Asymmetry Scoliosis Questionnaire (TAASQ) Breast Location [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Truncal Anterior Asymmetry Scoliosis Questionnaire (TAASQ) Breast shape [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
- Truncal Anterior Asymmetry Scoliosis Questionnaire (TAASQ) Breast size [Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and first routine follow-up post-surgery (6 weeks post-op)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
- aged 10 to 18
- curve angle >40 degrees
- waitlisted for posterior spinal fusion surgery at the Stollery Hospital
Exclusion criteria
- previous surgeries
- current use of scoliosis-specific exercises
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- Clinical Science Building, University of Alberta — Edmonton
Publications
- Calman R, Smithers T, Rowan R. Impact of surgical waiting time on paediatric spinal deformity patients. ANZ J Surg. 2013 Dec;83(12):929-32. doi: 10.1111/ans.12196. Epub 2013 May 8. PMID 23656433
- Fan Y, To MKT, Kuang GM, Lou N, Zhu F, Tao H, Li G, Yeung EHK, Cheung KMC, Cheung JPY. Five days of inpatient scoliosis-specific exercises improve preoperative spinal flexibility and facilitate curve correction of patients with rigid idiopathic scoliosis. Spine Deform. 2025 Jan;13(1):165-175. doi: 10.1007/s43390-024-00965-1. Epub 2024 Sep 26. PMID 39325330
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07516574 · Pro00150871