Effect of bracing or surgical treatments on balance control in idiopathic scoliosis: three case studies

Scoliosis is the most frequent spinal deformity among adolescents. In 80 % of cases, it is defined as idiopathic as no individual cause has been identified. However, several factors linked to Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) have been identified and are under investigation. One of these factors is neurological dysfunction. Increase in body sway has been observed either during or following sensory manipulation in AIS patients. It is believed that impairment in sensory processing could be related to scoliosis onset. Impairment in sensory processing could induce a body schema distortion. The aim of this case series was to evaluate if conventional orthopaedic treatments could improve balance control thus implying a better body representation. Although, no strong conclusion can be drawn from a case series, results suggest that alteration in body representation should be investigated in future studies.