SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025
Effectiveness of physical therapeutic scoliosis exercise (PSSE) intervention for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Application of Schroth exercise therapy in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a bibliometric analysis.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Pooled it
- An Update on Pain Management in Pediatric Spine Surgery.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2026Review
- Comparison of Objective and Subjective Indicators in Patients with Idiopathic Scoliosis Undergoing PSSE Therapy-Retrospective Observational.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Observational
- Impact of Physiotherapy Based on the Rigo Concept and Whole-Body Vibration on Sagittal Spinal Curvatures, Trunk Symmetry, and the Angle of Trunk Rotation in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Integrative conservative rehabilitation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese manual therapy combined with Schroth training.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo systematically evaluate the effects of physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercise (PSSE) on Cobb angle, angle of trunk rotation (ATR) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), and to explore the modifying role of exercise period, thereby providing an evidence-based foundation for the clinical optimisation of exercise prescriptions.
methodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and SinoMed databases were searched (up to 15 June 2025) without language restriction; a total of 18 RCTs (involving 1,014 patients with AIS, mean age 13.98 ± 1.81 years) were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 (11 low-risk, 7 medium-risk). Standardised mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model, and the frequency of exercise was quantified by subgroup analyses (low: ≤2 times/week; high: ≥3 times/week).
resultsThe combined effect of PSSE on Cobb angle in patients with AIS had an SMD of - 1.00, 95% confidence area [- 1.47, - 0.53], P < 0.001; the combined SMD of ATR was - 1.15, 95% CI [- 1.94, - 0.36], P < 0.001; the combined SMD of QoL was 0.63, 95% CI [0.15, 1.11], P < 0.01. Subgroup analyses showed that high-frequency exercise practice (≥ 3 times/week) was more effective.
conclusionPSSE effectively improves Cobb angle, ATR, and QoL in patients with AIS. High-frequency exercise forms are recommended; however, the actual application needs to be individualised based on patient characteristics. Spreading RCTs are recommended to further define the optimal exercise dose and identify key influencing factors.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.