ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2026
Effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and core stabilization on physical and functional parameters in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized controlled trial.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a three-dimensional spinal deformity that negatively affects postural alignment, functional capacity, and quality of life. Exercise-based interventions such as Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) and Core Stabilization (CS) are increasingly utilized to improve structural and functional outcomes in AIS, yet comparative evidence remains limited.
objectiveTo evaluate and compare the isolated effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) and Core Stabilization (CS) exercises on spinal curvature, trunk rotation, physical function, and health-related quality of life in adolescents with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), with the aim of informing evidence-based conservative treatment strategies.
methodsThis randomized controlled trial included 52 adolescents aged 10–18 years diagnosed with AIS. Participants were randomly assigned to either a PNF group (n = 26) or a CS group (n = 26). Both groups underwent supervised exercise interventions three times per week for 10 weeks. The primary outcome was the Cobb angle. Secondary outcomes included Angle of Trunk Rotation (ATR), Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire scores, and physical function tests (six-minute walk test, sit-to-stand test). Assessments were conducted by blinded evaluators.
resultsBoth groups demonstrated significant improvements in Cobb angle, ATR, SRS-22 scores, and physical function (p < 0.05). The PNF group showed a greater reduction in Cobb angle (6.8° ± 1.2°) compared to the CS group (5.4° ± 1.1°, p < 0.05), as well as superior improvements in ATR. Quality of life and physical performance improved significantly in both groups, with no statistically significant differences between groups in SRS-22 scores.
conclusionBoth PNF and CS exercises are effective in improving spinal alignment, trunk symmetry, and physical function in adolescents with AIS. PNF appears to offer greater structural benefits, while both interventions are equally effective in enhancing quality of life. These findings support the integration of exercise-based rehabilitation into conservative management protocols for AIS.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41843057What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.