Improvement of clinical and radiographical presentation of Scheuermann disease after Schroth therapy treatment

Background: Scheuermann's disease is the most common cause of hyperkyphosis of the thoracolumbar spine. Few case reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of Schroth therapy in improving the thoracic angle curve in Scheuermann's patients; however, additional verification is needed. Case description: A 14-year-old female patient presented with Scheuermann's disease. On X-ray, thoracic kyphosis was 55 degrees and lumbar lordosis 55 degrees. The self-rated cosmetic disturbance was graded 10/10 on a verbal numeric scale. The patient received a course of seven weekly Schroth therapy sessions, in addition to daily home exercises tailored specifically for the patient's posture. Five months later, follow-up X-rays revealed thoracic kyphosis of 27 degrees and lumbar lordosis 35 degrees. The patient graded the degree of her cosmetic disturbance as 3/10. Conclusions: Schroth therapy seems to be able to decrease the thoracic curve angle of Scheuermann's patients; however, efficacy and effectiveness of this method should be investigated in future prospective controlled clinical trials. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.