Epidemiological investigation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and evaluation of the therapeutic effect of an integrated sports and medicine rehabilitation strategy for scoliosis treatment

Background Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity with significant health impacts. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of AIS in a Chinese region and evaluate the efficacy of an integrated sports-medicine rehabilitation (ISMR) strategy. Methods This study had two parts. First, a cross-sectional school-based screening investigated AIS epidemiology in adolescents aged 11–19 in Taizhou. Second, a retrospective cohort study evaluated the efficacy of an ISMR strategy. Patients with AIS were allocated to either a Conventional Rehabilitation (CR) group or an ISMR group based on their historical rehabilitation protocol. All received 12 weeks of conservative management. Assessments performed before and after the treatment included Cobb angle, vertebral rotation, apical vertebral translation, trunk rotation angle (ATR), and SRS-22 quality of life scores. Results A total of 66,989 individuals were screened. The overall prevalence was higher in females than males (0.35% vs. 0.16%, p < 0.001). For the rehabilitation trial, 138 patients were enrolled (CR: n = 71; ISMR: n = 67). After treatment, the ISMR group showed statistically significant but modest improvements in Cobb angle (13.66 ° vs. 15.04 °, p = 0.016), vertebral rotation (1.38 ° vs. 1.59 °, p = 0.026), apical translation (20.87 mm vs. 21.89 mm, p = 0.033), and ATR (4.84 ° vs. 5.20°, p = 0.001) compared to the CR group. The ISMR group also demonstrated statistically and clinically relevant improvements in all SRS-22 domains, including function, pain, self-image, and mental health (all p < 0.05). Conclusion This study delineates local epidemiological patterns of AIS and demonstrates that a structured, ISMR strategy is more effective than CR in improving spinal alignment and quality of life for conservatively managed patients.