Studies with exercise intervention aimed to improve the bone health and muscle functions in patients with AIS were lacking. Evidence suggested that low bone mass and low muscle mass were associated with curve severity and occurrence of AIS. Weight-bearing exercise that aimed to improve musculoskeletal and metabolic health could enhance bone health and muscle mass, and could provide a feasible alternative conservative treatment to prevent curve progression as well as the quality of life in AIS girls. This is a pilot feasibility study for future large randomized controlled trial (RCT) aiming at determining the effects of home based exercise program on improving bone mineral density (BMD), muscle mass and functions, quality of life (QoL), and prevent curve progression in skeletally immature girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
40
7-min High Intensity Interval Training with 12 different exercises (each exercise 30 seconds continuously with 10 seconds rest interval)
Prince of Wales Hospital
Shatin, Hong Kong
Change in BMD after completion of exercise
Areal BMD (g/cm2) of non-dominant femoral neck and greater trochanter, and whole body BMD will be measured by DXA (Horizon, Hologic Inc., USA). Standardized scanning procedure provided by the manufacturer will be followed to ensure unified and comparable measurement. Quality assurance is performed by daily calibration against the standard phantoms provided by the manufacturer, with a precision error of 1.9% for BMD value for patient scan and \<1.0% for whole body phantom scan.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in Muscle mass after completion of exercise
Muscle mass will be measurement by whole body less head (WBLH) scan with DXA (Horizon, Hologic Inc., USA). DXA is the current golden standard to the measurement of body composition. Standardized scanning procedure provided by the manufacturer will be followed to ensure unified and comparable measurement.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in Anthropometric measurements after completion of exercise
Body height, weight, sitting height, and arm span will be measured with standard stadiometry techniques.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in BMC after completion of exercise
BMC (g/cm) of non-dominant femoral neck and greater trochanter, and whole body BMC will be measured by DXA (Horizon, Hologic Inc., USA). Standardized scanning procedure provided by the manufacturer will be followed to ensure unified and comparable measurement.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in clinical features after completion of exercise
A long standard standing postero-anterior (PA) whole spine radiograph will be used for grading curve severity in terms of Cobb angle according to the standard Cobb method. Risser sign, curve level and apex, and curve type will be recorded as in any standard assessment of scoliosis patients.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in clinical features 1 year after completion of exercise
A long standard standing postero-anterior (PA) whole spine radiograph will be used for grading curve severity in terms of Cobb angle according to the standard Cobb method. Risser sign, curve level and apex, and curve type will be recorded as in any standard assessment of scoliosis patients.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in muscle strength after completion of exercise
Legs, back, abdominal, and handgrip muscle strength will be assessed with dynamometer. The tests will be performed 3 times with 1 familiarization effort and 2 maximal effort, and the highest scores will be used for analysis.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in muscle strength 1 year after completion of exercise
Legs, back, abdominal, and handgrip muscle strength will be assessed with dynamometer. The tests will be performed 3 times with 1 familiarization effort and 2 maximal effort, and the highest scores will be used for analysis.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in muscle endurance after completion of exercise
Isometric squat test, Biering-Sorensen test, and isometric curl-up test will be used to assess the quadriceps, back and abdominal muscle endurance. The time (seconds) in which the subject maintained the position is recorded.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in muscle endurance 1 year after completion of exercise
Isometric squat test, Biering-Sorensen test, and isometric curl-up test will be used to assess the quadriceps, back and abdominal muscle endurance. The time (seconds) in which the subject maintained the position is recorded.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in aerobic fitness after completion of exercise
Aerobic fitness (estimated VO2max) of the subjects will be measured using sing-stage cycle ergometer sub-maximal test. Participants will be asked to sit on a cycle ergometer with 3-5 min warm up cycling at 150 kgm/min (25 Watt) workload, then workload will increase to 450-600 kgm/min (75-100 Watt) for another 6 minutes, in order to stimulate a submaximal exercise heart rate between 125-170 bpm. Estimated VO2max is then computed from the Astrand formula: VO2max = (workload x 2 + 300) \* (200 - 73) / (exercise heart rate - 73)". Safety guidelines and procedures recommended by the ACSM will be followed.
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in aerobic fitness 1 year after completion of exercise
Aerobic fitness (estimated VO2max) of the subjects will be measured using sing-stage cycle ergometer sub-maximal test. Participants will be asked to sit on a cycle ergometer with 3-5 min warm up cycling at 150 kgm/min (25 Watt) workload, then workload will increase to 450-600 kgm/min (75-100 Watt) for another 6 minutes, in order to stimulate a submaximal exercise heart rate between 125-170 bpm. Estimated VO2max is then computed from the Astrand formula: VO2max = (workload x 2 + 300) \* (200 - 73) / (exercise heart rate - 73)". Safety guidelines and procedures recommended by the ACSM will be followed.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in quality of life after completion of exercise
The Quality of Life of the subjects will be assessed with the official Chinese version of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22r) Questionnaire. SRS-22r is an internationally validated questionnaire that contains 22 questions organized in 5 domains covering different aspects of the quality of life of patients with scoliosis: function/activity, pain, self-image, mental health (5 items each), and satisfaction with treatment (2 items).
Time frame: Baseline and 6 months
Change in quality of life 1 year after completion of exercise
The Quality of Life of the subjects will be assessed with the official Chinese version of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22r) Questionnaire. SRS-22r is an internationally validated questionnaire that contains 22 questions organized in 5 domains covering different aspects of the quality of life of patients with scoliosis: function/activity, pain, self-image, mental health (5 items each), and satisfaction with treatment (2 items).
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in BMD 1 year after completion of exercise
Areal BMD (g/cm2) of non-dominant femoral neck and greater trochanter, and whole body BMD will be measured by DXA (Horizon, Hologic Inc., USA). Standardized scanning procedure provided by the manufacturer will be followed to ensure unified and comparable measurement. Quality assurance is performed by daily calibration against the standard phantoms provided by the manufacturer, with a precision error of 1.9% for BMD value for patient scan and \<1.0% for whole body phantom scan.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in BMC 1 year after completion of exercise
BMC (g/cm) of non-dominant femoral neck and greater trochanter, and whole body BMC will be measured by DXA (Horizon, Hologic Inc., USA). Standardized scanning procedure provided by the manufacturer will be followed to ensure unified and comparable measurement.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in muscle mass 1 year after completion of exercise
Muscle mass will be measurement by whole body less head (WBLH) scan with DXA (Horizon, Hologic Inc., USA). DXA is the current golden standard to the measurement of body composition. Standardized scanning procedure provided by the manufacturer will be followed to ensure unified and comparable measurement.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
Change in Anthropometric measurements 1 year after completion of exercise
Body height, weight, sitting height, and arm span will be measured with standard stadiometry techniques.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 months
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