A Comparison of the Effects of Supervised versus Home Schroth Exercise Programs with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

(1) Background: Schroth exercise can reduce the deformity of the spine and improve the life quality and the body image of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). (2) Methods: The study began with 49 participants, aged 10-16 years old, who were diagnosed with AIS. At the end of the study, 37 patients were randomly assigned to either the Supervised (n = 19) or Home-Based Schroth Exercise Group (n = 18) and completed the study. Both groups were treated for seven days a week over twelve weeks. For all patients, body rotation measurements were performed with a scoliometer, surface asymmetry analysis was carried out using an Artec Eva 3D scanner, health-related quality of life was evaluated by the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire, and the perception of the cosmetic deformity was assessed by the Walter Reed Visual Assessment Scale (WRVAS). All the measurements were repeated before and after the 12-week treatment. (3) Results: Post-treatment scoliometric measurements showed a significant decrease in body rotation in both groups (p < 0.05). Similarly, both groups observed significant positive changes in SRS-22 and WRVAS scores (p < 005). RMS values were statistically significant in both groups; the difference was only statistically significant in the thoracic anterior arm subparameter (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusion: The Schroth exercise for both groups with AIS improved body symmetry, quality of life, and body image.

Reliability and agreement of Azure Kinect and Kinect v2 depth sensors in the shoulder joint range of motion estimation.

BACKGROUND: Depth sensor-based motion analysis systems are of interest to researchers with low cost, fast analysis capabilities, and portability; thus, their reliability is a matter of interest. Our study examined the agreement and reliability in estimating the basic shoulder movements of Azure Kinect, Microsoft's state-of-the-art depth sensor, and its predecessor, Kinect v2, by comparing them with the gold standard marker-based motion analysis system. METHODS: In our study, the shoulder joint ranges of motion of 20 healthy individuals were analyzed during dominant-side flexion, abduction, and rotation movements. The reliability and agreement between methods were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: Compared to the gold standard method, the old- and new-generation Kinect showed similar performance in terms of reliability in the estimation of flexion (ICC = 0.86 vs. 0.82) and abduction (ICC = 0.78 vs. 0.79) movements, respectively. In contrast, the new-generation sensor showed higher reliability than its predecessor in internal (ICC = 0.49 vs. 0.75) and external rotation (ICC = 0.38 vs. 0.67) movement. CONCLUSION: Compared to its predecessor, Kinect Azure has higher reliability in analyzing movements in a lower range and variability, thanks to its state-of-the-art hardware. However, the sensor should also be tested on multiaxial movements, such as combing hair, drinking water, and reaching back, which are the tasks that simulate extremity movements in daily life.

Assessment of the reliability of hand-held surface scanner in the evaluation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PURPOSE: Spinal deformities due to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) result in impairment in the back surface topography. Sophisticated interventions are needed that address different aspects of deformity. The purpose of our study is to test the reliability of hand-held 3D scanners on the assessment of AIS. METHODS: Forty-two AIS patients were included in our study. The back surfaces of the patients were scanned with the hand-held 3D scanner, while the patients were in the standing position with the arms hanging at the sides (P1), with the arms extended (P2), and forward bending position (P3). The acquired original image was superimposed with the mirror image. Root mean square (RMS) of the point-to-point distance was calculated, and the differences between the surfaces were determined. Correlation between RMS, Cobb, POTSI, scoliometer, radiographic rotations, TRACE results was calculated. RESULTS: A significant correlation coefficency (r) was found between the RMS and Cobb values in the thoracic (P1 = 0.80, P2 = 0.76, P3 = 0.71) and lumbal region (P1 = 0.56, P2 = 0.65, P3 = 0.63); between RMS and Raimondi in the thoracic (r, P1 = 0.80, P2 = 0.81, P3 = 0.78) and lumbar regions (P1 = 0.54, P2 = 0.64, P3 = 0.59); between RMS and scoliometer measurements in the thoracic (r, P1 = 0.58, P2 = 0.50, P3 = 0.41) and lumbar regions (P1 = 0.35, P2 = 0.41, P3 = 0.59); in thoracolumbar region between RMS and POTSI (P1 = 0.50, P2 = 0.25, P3= 0.36), between RMS and TRACE (P1 = 0.68, P2 = 0.5, P3 = 0.52), CONCLUSION: The hand-held scanners may contribute to gaining new insight into diagnosis and follow-up of AIS by its mobility that enables the acquisition of data in desired body position and place such as bedside or our patient clinics. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with consistently applied reference standard and blinding.