Effect of Virtual Reality in Adolescents With Thoracic Hyperkyphosis
July 28, 2026 updated by: Yassen Motamed Abd El Wahab, Cairo University
Effect of Virtual Reality on Kyphotic Angle and Quality of Life in Adolescents With Thoracic Hyperkyphosis
The study aims to:
- Investigate the effect of virtual reality on kyphotic angle in adolescents with thoracic hyperkyphosis.
- Investigate the effect of virtual reality on quality of life in adolescents with thoracic hyperkyphosis.
- Investigate the effect of virtual reality on the enjoyment level in adolescents with thoracic hyperkyphosis.
Study Overview
Status
Recruiting
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
The adolescent period is marked by rapid physical changes that increase vulnerability to poor posture, potentially leading to chronic pain and spinal deformities in adulthood.
High prevalence rates of incorrect posture (65%) necessitate early diagnosis and intervention, including suitable treatment and rehabilitation programs.
Traditional physiotherapy techniques often struggle with adolescent engagement, prompting exploration of VR-based exercise therapy, which has demonstrated improved user adherence and effectiveness in addressing postural disorders.
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VR training on the kyphotic angle in adolescents with thoracic hyperkyphosis, presenting a novel therapeutic strategy that enhances adherence among those resistant to conventional methods.
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Estimated)
46
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 Contact
- Name: Yassen Motamed Abd Elwahab, physical therapist
- Phone Number: 01119322806
- Email: yassenmotamed@gmail.com
Study Locations
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-
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Cairo, Egypt
- Recruiting
- out-patient clinic, faculty of physical therapy, Cairo university
-
Contact:
- Yassen Motamed Abd Elwahab, physical therapist
- Phone Number: 01119322806
- Email: yassenmotamed@gmail.com
-
-
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
- Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
Participants must meet all the following conditions:
- Adolescents with a kyphosis angle >40°.
- Aged 13 to 18 years.
- Normal body mass index range
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants who met one of the following criteria will be excluded:
- Adolescents who cannot understand or follow instructions.
- Congenital spinal deformities.
- Developmental disorders.
- Adolescent athletes.
- Neurological, musculoskeletal, and cardiopulmonary diseases.
- Vision or hearing impairments.
- Medical conditions hindering physical activity
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: Single
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Active Comparator: conventional exercise program
The control group included 23 patients and received a comprehensive corrective exercise program for thoracic hyperkyphosis
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treatment will last for 40-50 minutes, 3 days a week for 12 weeks Exercises will include:
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Experimental: Virtual reality-based posture training
The experimental group will receive the same program as the control group in addition to virtual reality-based posture training using Meta Quest 3 - a virtual reality headset with the Totally Basketball game.
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treatment will last for 40-50 minutes, 3 days a week for 12 weeks Exercises will include:
Meta Quest 3 is an Mixed Reality headset providing augmented reality and virtual reality capabilities, allowing users to engage in both physical and virtual environments.
Participants will play the "Totally Basketball" game, which promotes upper body engagement and postural correction through movements focusing on cervical retraction, scapular stabilization, and thoracic extension.
The virtual reality sessions will last 20 minutes, scheduled after 30 to 45 minutes of conventional exercises, three times a week for eight weeks.
Each session includes an introduction to the headset, a safety briefing, supervised trials, and active gameplay aimed at addressing thoracic hyperkyphosis with physiotherapist oversight to ensure safety and proper technique.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
assessment of Kyphotic Angle
Time Frame: At baseline and after 12 weeks
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Kyphotic angle assessment using a bubble inclinometer involves the following steps: firstly, zero the inclinometer on a vertical wall.
Next, identify the spinous processes of C7, T1, T12, and L1.
Place the cephalic foot of the inclinometer on the C7 spinous process, then repeat for the lower thoracic spine with the caudal foot on T12.
The kyphosis angle is calculated by adding the angles from both inclinometer placements.
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At baseline and after 12 weeks
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Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
assessment of Quality of Life
Time Frame: At baseline and after 12 weeks
|
The questionnaire will be administered twice: at baseline and post-intervention, with participants receiving a printed Arabic copy and instructions for completion.
The Arabic Kidscreen-27 includes 27 items across five dimensions: physical health (5 items), psychological health (7 items), autonomy and parents (7 items), peers and social support (4 items), and school and environment (4 items).
Responses use a five-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
Completion is estimated to take 10-15 minutes.
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At baseline and after 12 weeks
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assessment of Participant Enjoyment
Time Frame: At baseline and after 12 weeks
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Participant enjoyment assessment using a 7-point Likert scale: A 7-point Likert scale will be administered in person, immediately following each virtual reality session. The patient will rate his enjoyment level according to the following: How enjoyable do you find the session? 1=very enjoyable, 2=slightly enjoyable, 3=enjoyable, 4=neutral, 5=unenjoyable, 6= slightly unenjoyable, and 7= very unenjoyable |
At baseline and after 12 weeks
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Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
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)
January 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Actual)
July 1, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
July 30, 2026
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
July 28, 2026
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
July 28, 2026
First Posted (Actual)
July 31, 2026
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
July 31, 2026
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
July 28, 2026
Last Verified
July 1, 2026
More Information
Terms related to this study
Other Study ID Numbers
- Yassen_Phd
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
No
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