Does exercise therapy improve pulmonary function in patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?

INTRODUCTION: Exercise therapy is frequently used for treating patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) however no previous review has evaluated the effect of exercise therapy on pulmonary function in this population. OBJECTIVE: To systematically analyze the literature on the effect of exercise therapy on pulmonary function in patients with AIS. METHODS: A systematic electronic database search (CINAHL, Embase, Medline, Web of Science) was conducted. Manual searches of key reviews and studies were also conducted. Studies that included exercise-based interventions to improve pulmonary function in patients with AIS and reported pre- and post-intervention pulmonary function test scores were included. Test scores were compared using standardized mean difference (SMD) between intervention and control groups in randomized control trials (RCT) and mean ± SD between pre- and post-intervention in prospective intervention studies (PI). Methodological quality was assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist. RESULTS: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria (six RCTs and nine PIs). Results indicated the positive effect of exercise-based therapy on lung volumes (FVC/VC) and FEV1 in patients with AIS. CONCLUSION: Exercise therapy has a positive effect on lung volumes in patients with AIS. The quality of many studies was only 'fair,' therefore more suitably powered higher level clinical trials are required.