Long-term impact of pre-operative physical rehabilitation protocol on the 6-min walk test of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized clinical trial

• Published in: Revista portuguesa de pneumologia (English ed.) Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 138 - 143
• Main Authors: dos Santos Alves, V.L, Stirbulov, R, Avanzi, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Elsevier España, S.L.U 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; Clinical Protocols; Exercise; Exercise movement techniques; Exercise Test; Exercise therapy; Humans; Internal Medicine; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary Gas Exchange; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Scoliosis; Scoliosis - physiopathology; Scoliosis - rehabilitation; Scoliosis - surgery; Time Factors; Walking; Exercise; Exercise test; Scoliosis; Exercise movement techniques; Exercise therapy
• ISSN: 2173-5115; 2173-5115
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rppnen.2014.08.006

AbstractBackgroundMonitored physical activities in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have been shown to improve physical performance, endurance and cardiopulmonary function and may be assessed by the 6-min walk test (6MWT). We aimed to evaluate the long-term results of the 6MWT after a rehabilitation protocol employed before surgical correction for AIS.MethodsThis prospective randomized clinical trial studied the impact of a 4-month pre-operative physical rehabilitation protocol on post-operative cardiopulmonary function and physical endurance, by using the 6MWT, in patients with AIS submitted to surgical correction, comparing them to matched controls without physical rehabilitation. Studied variables were heart and respiratory rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, Borg score, and distance walked. Patients were assessed at baseline, after 4 months of rehabilitation, and 3, 6 and 12 months post-operatively.ResultsA total of 50 patients with AIS were included in the study and allocated blindly, by simple randomization, into either one of the two groups, with 25 patients each: study group (pre-operative physical rehabilitation) and control group. The physical rehabilitation protocol promoted significant progressive improvement in heart and respiratory rate, peripheral blood oxygen saturation, distance walked, and level of effort assessed by the Borg scale after surgery.ConclusionsPost-surgical recovery, evaluated by 6MWT, was significantly better in patients who underwent a 4-month pre-operative physical rehabilitation protocol.