Assessment of sensorimotor control in adults with surgical correction for idiopathic scoliosis

This study aims at verifying if impaired sensorimotor control observed in adolescents and young adults with scoliosis is also present in adult patients who underwent surgery to reduce their spine deformation.

The study included ten healthy adults and ten adults with idiopathic scoliosis who underwent surgery to reduce their spine deformation. Galvanic vestibular stimulation was delivered to assess sensorimotor control. Vertical forces under each foot and horizontal displacement of the upper body were measured before, during and after stimulation. Balance control was assessed by calculating the root mean square values of kinematic and kinetic variables.

The amplitude of the vestibular-evoked postural response was 3.4 % (0.8-6.0 %) and 4.5 % (-0.4 to 9.5 %) of the maximal range of motion. Therefore, spine surgery did not limit the postural response. Patients with idiopathic scoliosis exhibited larger body sway than the healthy controls during and immediately after vestibular stimulation. The maximal normalized lateral displacement of the body was 0.85 and 0.40 cm/m and maximal normalized vertical force was 0.78 vs. 0.39 N/kg, for idiopathic scoliosis and healthy groups, respectively.

This result suggests that dysfunctional sensorimotor integration is still present even in adult idiopathic scoliosis that underwent spine deformation correction.