The Musculoskeletal System During Puberty in Dancers With Scoliosis, and the Effect of an Exercise Program

assessment of the musculoskeletal system will be performed twice a year, for three years of young dancers

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Development, Adolescent
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: exercise

Detailed Description

Objectives: To examine musculoskeletal system characteristics in female dancers with and without scoliosis throughout the pubertal period, and to evaluate the effect of a targeted preventive exercise program.

Methods: Up to 140 female dancers aged 11-16 will be recruited for a two-phase study:

Phase A: a two-year longitudinal study with four assessment time points. . At each time point, participants will complete a comprehensive assessment including: anthropometric measurements (height and weight), sexual maturation status (Tanner scale), scoliosis assessment (Adam's forward bend test, scoliometer measurements, Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire), bone strength (quantitative ultrasound using a Speed of Sound [SOS] device), abdominal and back muscle morphology (ultrasound imaging), hip muscle strength (handheld dynamometry), hip range of motion (goniometry), dynamic balance (Y Balance Test), and flexibility (Beighton score). In addition, participants will complete a demographic questionnaire and an injury surveillance questionnaire.

Phase B : an intervention study in which dancers with scoliosis will be randomly assigned to either a three-month targeted exercise program or a control group continuing regular training. Outcomes will be assessed post-intervention and at one-year follow-up.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 140
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Gali Dar, PhD; Phone Number: 972505662054; Email: gdar@univ.haifa.ac.il

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Haifa, Israel
    • Recruiting
    • Haifa University, Department of PHysical Therapy
    • Contact: Gali Dar, PhD; Phone Number: 972-50-5662054; Email: galidar@yahoo.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female dancers aged 11-16 years who dance at least three times per week and whose parents have provided informed consent.
• Dancers who have participated in at least three weekly hours of classical ballet during the year preceding the study and during the study year.
• A minimum of two years of experience in classical ballet training.
• Dancers without underlying medical conditions, not taking medications, and with no history of orthopedic surgery.
• dancers diagnosed during the study with mild to moderate scoliosis who are not under medical follow-up requiring active orthopedic or surgical treatment.

Exclusion criteria:

- Dancers who are taking medications, are not in good health, have underlying medical conditions, or have undergone any orthopedic surgery.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Screening
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: excercise; exercises for strengthening	Other: exercise; exercise for strengthening core muscles
No Intervention: control; regular activity

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
ultrasound for muscle thickness	ultrasound assessment of back and abdominal muscles in rest and contraction - thickness in mm	baseline, twice a year for 2 years
muscle strength test	hand held dynamometer assessment hip muscles	baseline, twice a year for 2 years
range of motion	goniometer assessment for lower extremities joints	baseline, twice a year for 2 years
bone strength	tibia bone strength assessment using Sunlight MiniOmni Ultrasound Bone Sonometer	baseline, twice a year for 2 years
scoliosis	Adam's tests and scoliometer	baseline, twice a year for 2 years
maturation status	Tanner scale 0-5 scale. higher score represent greater maturation status	baseline, twice a year for 2 years
flexibility	Beighton score. 0-9 scale when higher score represent hyper flexibility	baseline, twice a year for 2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Haifa
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gali Dar, PhD, University of Haifa

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Dar G, Elbaz L, Vilnai T, Ben-Zvi D, Grinstein M, Steinberg N. Hyperlaxity and low bone mass predispose young female gymnasts to develop scoliosis suspected status. Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):22827. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-05895-0.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 23, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 3, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 30, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Exercise
• Other Study ID Numbers: 034/26

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data will be shared with other researchers upon reasonable request and in coordination with the principal investigator, subject to ethical approval and data use agreements.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No