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A Study on the Effectiveness of Helmet Therapy for Cranial Deformations According to Cranial Shape.

Authors :
Cho HG
Ryu JY
Lee JS
Yang JD
Chung HY
Choi KY
Source :
The Journal of craniofacial surgery [J Craniofac Surg] 2024 Feb 16. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 16.
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
Ahead of Print

Abstract

Background: To investigate the effects of helmet therapy on plagiocephaly, according to head circumference, cephalic index (CI), and skull height. Plagiocephaly is a condition in which the skull is congenitally asymmetrical or affected by acquired factors such as compression in the womb or the habit of sleeping on one side. Although there are numerous studies on the effectiveness of helmet therapy for plagiocephaly, research on its effectiveness on skull shape is lacking.<br />Methods: We conducted a prospective study on 400 patients who underwent helmet therapy. The infants were enrolled and the therapy was explained to the caregiver when the child had positional plagiocephaly and had a cranial vault asymmetry (CVA) exceeding 10 mm or a CVA index (CVAI) exceeding 3.5%. The CVA and CVAI changes were compared to investigate the effectiveness of helmet therapy according to head circumference, CI, and skull height.<br />Results: A significant treatment effect was observed for CI values between 90 and 103. The treatment effect was found to increase with greater skull height. However, no significant difference was observed in the effectiveness of helmet therapy according to head circumference.<br />Conclusions: According to the findings, the effectiveness of helmet therapy in children with positional plagiocephaly is greater for children with higher skulls and for those with CI values between 90 and 103; it is unrelated to head circumference. Based on these results, we can provide predictions of the effectiveness of helmet therapy to caregivers of children with positional plagiocephaly.<br />Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.<br /> (Copyright © 2024 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1536-3732
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
The Journal of craniofacial surgery
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
38363338
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000010018