Network meta-analysis of short-term effects of different strategies in the conservative treatment of AIS

PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term effects of different conservative treatments on in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: By searching the relevant literature of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the curative effects of the three regimens of bracing therapy combined with scoliosis-specific exercises, simple treatment with brace and simple scoliosis-specific exercises were compared. Review manager 5.3, Stata MP16 and Network software packages were used for Reticular Meta-analysis of Cobb’s angles before and after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 364 patients were included in four clinical studies. Reticular meta-analysis showed that the short-term effect of bracing treatment combined with scoliosis-specific exercises was better than that of treatment with brace and scoliosis-specific exercises, with effects of 2.71(95% CI 0.83–4.58) and 3.67(95% CI 1.21–6.14), respectively. There was no statistical difference between simple bracing therapy and scoliosis-specific exercises. CONCLUSION: Among the three common conservative treatments of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the short-term effect of bracing treatment combined with scoliosis-specific exercises is better than that of bracing treatment or scoliosis-specific exercises.