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Relationship between starting age of cranial-remolding-orthosis therapy and effectiveness of treatment in children with deformational plagiocephaly

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal age for starting cranial-remolding-orthosis therapy in children with deformational plagiocephaly.

Methods

Medical records of 310 patients with deformational plagiocephaly were retrospectively reviewed and the initial and final cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI), age when starting therapy, duration of therapy, mean change of CVAI, improvement rate, and treatment success were analyzed. We compared outcomes according to the groups divided by ages starting therapy.

Results

There were no significant differences in improvement rate and duration of cranial-remolding-orthosis therapy among patients starting therapy at the age of 3, 4, and 5 months. However, when starting therapy after the age of 6 months, the rates of CVAI improvement were significantly lower and the duration of therapy was significantly increased.

Conclusion

Considering the spontaneous resolution effect according to the head growth nature, the age 5 month is the optimal period to start cranial-remolding-orthosis therapy for deformational plagiocephaly.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate Orthokorea® that provided data for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Dongsu-ro 56, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, 21431, South Korea

    Mi-hyang Han, Hye Young Han & Dae-Hyun Jang

  2. Seoul Asan Rehabilitation Clinic, Incheon, South Korea

    Jin Young Kang

  3. Korea Disabled people’s Development Institute, Seoul, South Korea

    Yun-hwa Cho

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  1. Mi-hyang Han
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  2. Jin Young Kang
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Correspondence to Dae-Hyun Jang.

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Conflict of interest

Mi-hyang Han: No conflict of interest to disclose. Jin Young Kang: No conflict of interest to disclose. Hye Young Han: No conflict of interest to disclose. Yun-hwa Cho: No conflict of interest to disclose. Dae-Hyun Jang: No conflict of interest to disclose.

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Han, Mh., Kang, J.Y., Han, H.Y. et al. Relationship between starting age of cranial-remolding-orthosis therapy and effectiveness of treatment in children with deformational plagiocephaly. Childs Nerv Syst 33, 1349–1356 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-017-3427-9

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