Scoliosis and Functional Outcomes in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

February 25, 2026 updated by: Bengisu Menentoğlu, Istanbul University

Comprehensive Evaluation of Scoliosis and Its Association With Functional Status, Postural Alignment, and Disease Activity in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that may affect musculoskeletal development and posture in children. Spinal involvement, including scoliosis, is not routinely evaluated in clinical practice despite its potential impact on functional status and quality of life.

This cross-sectional study aims to assess the presence of scoliosis in children with JIA and to investigate its association with functional status, postural alignment, and disease activity. Clinical and functional parameters will be analyzed to better understand the impact of spinal deformities in this population.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that may negatively affect musculoskeletal development, posture, and overall physical function in children. Although peripheral joint involvement is well characterized, axial and postural abnormalities, including scoliosis, are not routinely assessed during follow-up despite their potential clinical significance.

This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the presence of scoliosis in children with JIA and to investigate its relationship with disease activity, functional status, pain, and postural alignment. Comprehensive clinical assessments, including physical examination, disease activity scores, and functional evaluation tools, will be performed. Where applicable, postural analysis and imaging findings will also be considered.

By identifying the frequency and clinical impact of scoliosis in JIA, this study seeks to improve awareness of spinal involvement and to provide a basis for early recognition and multidisciplinary management strategies, including targeted physiotherapy interventions.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of children and adolescents aged 8-18 years diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) according to ILAR criteria and followed up at a tertiary pediatric rheumatology center. Participants will be recruited consecutively during routine outpatient visits. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prevalence and severity of scoliosis, as defined by Cobb angle measurements on physical examination and, if necessary, standing spinal radiographs, and to examine its relationship with clinical and functional parameters. Both patients with and without scoliosis will be included in the study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age between 8 and 18 years at the time of enrollment
  • Diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) according to ILAR criteria
  • Written informed consent obtained from parent/legal guardian and assent from the child/adolescent, when appropriate

Exclusion Criteria

  • Known scoliosis due to non-JIA causes (e.g., congenital vertebral anomalies, neuromuscular disorders, or syndromic scoliosis)
  • History of prior spinal surgery or current brace treatment for scoliosis
  • History of significant spinal trauma or spinal infection/tumor affecting spinal alignment
  • Presence of coexisting chronic conditions that significantly affect posture, gait, or functional testing (e.g., severe neurologic impairment) and may confound assessments
  • Inability to undergo required assessments (e.g., inability to stand for radiographs or complete functional measures)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
JIA Patients With Scoliosis
Children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who have scoliosis, defined by a Cobb angle of ≥10 degrees on standing spinal radiographs. Clinical characteristics, disease activity parameters, and functional assessments including postural and plantar pressure analyses will be evaluated. No intervention will be applied; this group will be observationally assessed.
JIA Patients Without Scoliosis
Children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) without evidence of scoliosis (Cobb angle <10 degrees). Participants will undergo the same clinical, laboratory (if applicable), and functional assessments as the scoliosis group. This is an observational group with no intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Prevalence of Scoliosis in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Time Frame: At baseline (single study visit)
Proportion of participants with scoliosis, defined as a Cobb angle ≥10° measured on standing spinal radiographs.
At baseline (single study visit)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Scoliosis Severity (Cobb Angle)
Time Frame: At baseline (single study visit)
Cobb angle (degrees) measured on standing spinal radiographs. Scoliosis defined as Cobb angle ≥10°.
At baseline (single study visit)
Health-Related Quality of Life (PedsQL)
Time Frame: At baseline (single study visit)
Health-related quality of life assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) total score (and physical and psychosocial subscale scores, if available). Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale (range: 0-100), with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
At baseline (single study visit)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Istanbul University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 25, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Jia-scoliosis

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

The decision to share individual participant data (IPD) has not yet been finalized. Data sharing may be considered upon reasonable request after publication, subject to institutional policies, ethical approvals, and data protection regulations.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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