Face-to-Face Vs. Telerehabilitation for Thoracic Hyperkyphosis in Children: a Clinical Trial

December 11, 2024 updated by: Seda GÖZENER CANBÜLBÜL, Medipol University

Comparative Efficacy of Face-to-Face and Telerehabilitation Approaches in Managing Thoracic Hyperkyphosis Among 9-12-Year-Olds: a Randomized Clinical Trial

This study evaluates the effectiveness of face-to-face versus telerehabilitation programs for children aged 9-12 with thoracic hyperkyphosis, a condition caused by poor posture that leads to excessive forward curvature of the spine. Twenty children participated in a six-week corrective exercise program, either in person or through an online platform. Both approaches significantly improved spinal posture, back muscle strength, and pain levels, with no notable differences in outcomes between the two methods. The findings suggest that telerehabilitation is as effective as face-to-face rehabilitation, offering a flexible option for managing thoracic hyperkyphosis in children.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

20

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Turkey
    • Kavacık
      • İstanbul, Kavacık, Turkey
        • Istanbul Medipol University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children aged 9-12 years.
  • Diagnosed with thoracic hyperkyphosis (Thoracic Kyphosis Angle > 40 degrees).
  • Able to participate in a 6-week rehabilitation program (face-to-face or telerehabilitation).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children with congenital spinal malformations.
  • Children with mental health issues that could interfere with participation or compliance in the study.

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

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Face-to-Face Rehabilitation Group
Participants in this arm received a thoracic corrective exercise program in person, consisting of four exercises targeting back extensor muscles. The exercises were performed three times a week for six weeks under the supervision of a trained therapist.
Behavioral: Face-to-Face Rehabilitation Program
The Face-to-Face Rehabilitation Program is a structured rehabilitation regimen designed to improve posture, reduce pain, and strengthen back extensor muscles in children with thoracic hyperkyphosis. Participants in this group engaged in the Thoracic Corrective Exercise Program, which included four specific exercises targeting thoracic spine correction. The exercises were performed three times per week over six weeks, under the direct supervision of a trained therapist. This setup ensured real-time feedback, personalized adjustments, and guidance during each session, optimizing the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process.
Experimental: Telerehabilitation Group
Participants in this arm followed the same thoracic corrective exercise program, but the sessions were delivered online through the Fiziu platform. Exercises were performed three times a week for six weeks with remote guidance and monitoring.
Behavioral: Telerehabilitation Program
The Telerehabilitation Program is a structured rehabilitation regimen designed to improve posture, reduce pain, and strengthen back extensor muscles in children with thoracic hyperkyphosis. Participants in this group followed the Thoracic Corrective Exercise Program, which included four specific exercises targeting thoracic spine correction, performed three times per week over six weeks. The program was delivered remotely through the Fiziu platform, allowing therapists to provide virtual guidance, feedback, and monitoring during the sessions. This approach offered flexibility for families and ensured accessibility to rehabilitation services from the comfort of their homes.
Other Names:
  • Fiziu Platform Video Based Exercise Group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Thoracic Kyphosis Angle (TKA)
Time Frame: 6 weeks

It was measured using a flexicurve ruler to assess the curvature of the thoracic spine before and after the intervention.

>45° is considered hyperkyphosis
6 weeks
Manual Muscle Test (MMT)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Evaluates back muscle strength before and after the intervention. Minimum = 0 (no muscle contraction), Maximum = 5 (normal muscle strength).
6 weeks
Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Assesses pain levels before and after the intervention. Minimum = 0 (no pain), Maximum = 10 (worst possible pain)
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Medipol University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Seda Gözener Canbülbül, Medipol University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

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 (Actual)

October 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

December 2, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 6, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 11, 2024

First Posted (Estimated)

December 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

December 12, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 11, 2024

Last Verified

December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • İMU-SEDAGOZENER-004

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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