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CompletedNCT06504550Updated Aug 14, 2024

Comparison Between Schroth and Klapp Method in CP Children With Scoliosis

An interventional study of Schroth Exercises and Klapp Exercises in Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis, sponsored by Riphah International University. Completed at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 8 Years to 12 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-14.

Sponsored by Riphah International University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
22
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
8 Years to 12 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Cerebral palsy, which occurs in two to three out of 1,000 live births, has multiple etiologies resulting in brain injury that affects movement, posture, and balance. Approximately one-third of children with CP are non-ambulant and subsequently spend prolonged periods of time in sitting or lying. Non-ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy (CP) bear a high risk of developing simultaneous progressive scoliotic spine deformities, loss of sitting balance and hip subluxation/dislocation.Treatments for the Spinal deformities associated with cerebral palsy are Schroth method. It is a scoliosis-specific exercise approach that uses postural, scoliosis-specific sensorimotor exercises. While another treatment approach Klapp method aimed to stretch and strengthen muscles by all fours positions, easily applied and that can be used in small groups.

A Randomized clinical trial will be conducted through convenient sampling. Inclusion criteria of this study is age between 8 to 12 years of either gender, with GMFCS level I and II and Trunk rotation angle (ATR) > 4 degree, who are able to understand and follow verbal instructions. Those patients who has been prescribed brace treatment, has scheduled or undergone any corrective surgical treatment of the spine before or during data collection process will be excluded. Patients who are unable to participate, or are reluctant to receive treatment are excluded. Study will be conducted on 22 patients who will be randomly allocated into two groups. One group will receive Schroth exercises. It consists of passive and active postural auto-correction exercises done repeatedly and based on kinesthetic and sensorimotor principles. While the other group with Klapp method includes stretching and strengthening muscles by all fours positions. Bunnell's scoliometer, Adams forward bend test, and Posture and postural ability scale (PPAS) will be used as outcome measure.

Read the detailed description

Group A is Schroth Group (SG). The patients in the Schroth exercise group will start their exercise program under physiotherapist supervision. Exercise treatment program will consist of 18 sessions, 30 minutes each session, three times a week, for 6 weeks. Schroth exercises will be performed in an asymmetric position to maximize correction to achieve trunk symmetry. These exercises include spinal elongation, de-rotation, de-flexion, stretching, strengthening and rotational breathing exercises to maintain vertebral alignment. The participants will be asked to combine these exercises with their daily living activities (ADLs). During the Schroth exercises, rice bags, foam blocks, a stool, and long sticks will be used to adjust the posture and give passive support. Exercises are progressed from lying, sitting, or standing positions and from most to least passive support per a review of the quality of the performance. Decreasing the amount or degree of passive support, changing the patient's position, and adjusting the sets and repetitions of exercises will depend on the patient's improvement in exercise performance Group B is Klapp group (KG).The patients in the Klapp exercise group will be treated with supervised klapp exercises. Exercise treatment program will consist of 18 sessions, 30 minutes each session, three times a week, for 6 weeks. In each session, a sequence of 8 postures of Klapp Exercises will be carried out. Each posture will be maintained for 4-5 minutes with rest breaks when needed. Positions that will be held are: 1) Lateral crawl, 2) Horizontal sliding, 3) Crawl posture near the ground, 4) Bunny hopping, 5) Arm turn, 6) Big arch, 7) Lateral crawl near the ground, 8) Big curve

02

Conditions studied

  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Scoliosis

Keywords

  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Klapp
  • Postural Stability
  • Schroth
  • Scoliosis
  • Trunk Rotation Angle
03

In context

Scoliosis

593 studies on the registry are indexed under Scoliosis; 138 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 22 is below the median of 44 across 344 interventional studies indexed under Scoliosis.

Browse Scoliosis studies →

Lead sponsor

Riphah International University is the lead sponsor of 2,133 studies on the registry; 633 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
8 Years to 12 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • 8 to 12 years of age
  • Either gender.
  • The level of gross motor function between levels I and II in accordance with the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) .
  • Angle of Trunk Rotation (ATR) > 4 degree .
  • Ability to understand and follow verbal instructions

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients will be excluded if they have had been prescribed brace treatment
  • Has received any previous corrective or surgical treatment of the spine
  • Unable to participate, or are reluctant to receive treatment
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
22 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Schroth Exercise. Group A receive Schroth Exercises.

    Group A: Schroth Group (SG). The patients in the Schroth exercise group will start their exercise program under physiotherapist supervision. Exercise treatment program will consist of 18 sessions, 30 minutes each session, three times a week, for 6 weeks. These exercises include spinal elongation, de-rotation, de-flexion, stretching, strengthening to maintain vertebral alignment.The participants will be asked to combine these exercises with their daily living activities (ADLs).During the Schroth exercises, rice bags, foam blocks, a stool, and long sticks will be used to adjust the posture and give passive support.Exercises are progressed from lying, sitting, or standing positions and from most to least passive support per a review of the quality of the performance.Decreasing the amount or degree of passive support, changing the patient's position, and adjusting the sets and repetitions of exercises will depend on the patient's improvement in exercise performance

    Other: Schroth Exercises

  • Experimental
    Klapp Exercise. Group B receive Klapp Exercises.

    Group B: Klapp group (KG). The patients in the Klapp exercise group will be treated with supervised klapp exercises.Exercise treatment program will consist of 18 sessions, 30 minutes each session, three times a week, for 6 weeks.In each session, a sequence of 8 postures of Klapp Exercises will be carried out.Each posture will be maintained for 4-5 minutes with rest breaks when needed.Positions that will be held are: 1) Lateral crawl, 2) Horizontal sliding, 3) Crawl posture near the ground, 4) Bunny hopping, 5) Arm turn, 6) Big arch, 7) Lateral crawl near the ground, 8) Big curve

    Other: Klapp Exercises

Interventions

  • OtherSchroth Exercises

    The patients in the Schroth exercise group will start their exercise program under physiotherapist supervision.Exercise treatment program will consist of 18 sessions, 30 minutes each session, three times a week, for 6 weeks.These exercises include spinal elongation, de-rotation, de-flexion, stretching, strengthening exercises to maintain vertebral alignment.The participants will be asked to combine these exercises with their daily living activities (ADLs).During the Schroth exercises, rice bags, foam blocks, a stool, and long sticks will be used to adjust the posture and give passive support.Exercises are progressed from lying, sitting, or standing positions and from most to least passive support per a review of the quality of the performance.Decreasing the amount or degree of passive support, changing the patient's position, and adjusting the sets and repetitions of exercises will depend on the patient's improvement in exercise performance

  • OtherKlapp Exercises

    The patients in the Klapp exercise group will be treated with supervised klapp exercises. Exercise treatment program will consist of 18 sessions, 30 minutes each session, three times a week, for 6 weeks.In each session, a sequence of 8 postures of Klapp Exercises will be carried out. Each posture will be maintained for 4-5 minutes with rest breaks when needed.Positions that will be held are: 1) Lateral crawl, 2) Horizontal sliding, 3) Crawl posture near the ground, 4) Bunny hopping, 5) Arm turn, 6) Big arch, 7) Lateral crawl near the ground, 8) Big curve

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Posture and Postural Ability Scale (PPAS)

    An assessment tool for measuring the quality of postures as well as classifying the ability to maintain and manipulate postures.The Posture and Postural Ability Scale (PPAS) is used to assess supine, prone, lying and sitting posture in the frontal and sagittal planes. The scale ranges from full symmetry to total asymmetry. Similarly, their ability to change or maintain position was rated according to the levels of PPAS ranging from "Able to move into and out of position independently" (level 7) to "Unplaceable in an aligned position" (level 1).The PPAS has excellent inter-rater reliability and validity for children and adults with CP

    Time frame: 6 weeks

  2. Bunnell's Scoliometer

    Trunk rotation angle (ATR) will be evaluated using Bunnell's scoliometer and Adam's forward bend test. For patients with scoliosis, a landmark for measuring the angle of trunk rotation will be marked on the protruding area during the forward bending test using a scoliometer. For measuring the angle of trunk rotation of scoliosis patient, in order to set the reference point of the scoliometer, the scoliometer is placed on the floor and focused. In the forward bending test, the angle of trunk rotation is measured using a scoliometer on the area to be measured marked with a sticker. The measured value will be read and recorded. The inter-rater reliability according to the measurement method with Scoliometer measurement method 0.971. The scoliometer measurement method has the highest validity (r=0.976)

    Time frame: 6 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Riphah International University
    Lahore, Punjab 54000, Pakistan
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Agustsson A, Sveinsson T, Pope P, Rodby-Bousquet E. Preferred posture in lying and its association with scoliosis and windswept hips in adults with cerebral palsy. Disabil Rehabil. 2019 Dec;41(26):3198-3202. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1492032. Epub 2018 Jul 16. PubMed 30010440 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 14, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06504550
Lead sponsor
Riphah International University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 16, 2024
Start date
May 14, 2024
Primary completion
Jul 21, 2024
Completion
Jul 28, 2024
Last update
Aug 14, 2024

Study contacts

Ayesha Khaliq, MS*
principal investigator · Riphah International University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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