Innovation and Outcomes in Pediatric Spine Care

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2026) | Viewed by 716

Editors


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Guest Editor
ISICO (Italian Scientific Spine Institute), 20141 Milan, Italy
Interests: scoliosis; spinal deformities; low back pain; quality of life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Human Sciences, Society and Health, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, 03043 Cassino, Italy
2. Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: scoliosis; pediatric orthopedics; pediatric trauma; sports
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pediatric spine disorders represent complex clinical challenges, requiring a delicate balance between deformity correction, growth preservation, and long-term functional outcomes. Recent advances in imaging, navigation, robotics, biomaterials, and surgical instrumentation have expanded treatment possibilities and improved safety.

Concurrently, attention to non-surgical aspects of care—including patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, complication prevention, and long-term follow-up—has shifted the treatment focus from radiographic correction alone to comprehensive, patient-centered management. Multidisciplinary care pathways and registry-based, data-driven decision-making are increasingly informing precision and value-based approaches.

Despite progress, fundamental questions remain: how can deformity correction be optimized while safeguarding growth, which technologies improve outcomes long-term, and how do early interventions influence adult spinal health?

This Special Issue invites the submission of original research, reviews, and translational studies that advance knowledge in pediatric spine care, integrating surgical innovation with holistic, evidence-based approaches. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: growth-friendly techniques, advanced technology-assisted surgery, patient-reported outcome measures, risk stratification, long-term follow-up, transition to adult care, registry analyses, biomechanics, and value-based care models.

We look forward to your contributions to this collection, which aims to define the next generation of pediatric spine management and improve patient-centered outcomes worldwide.

Acknowledgment

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dott. Pulici for his support and invaluable contributions to this Special Issue. His clinical expertise and insights have been instrumental in shaping the project and promoting its reach within the scientific and clinical community

Dr. Fabio Zaina
Prof. Dr. Angelo Gabriele Aulisa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spine
  • spinal deformity
  • growth modulation
  • robotics
  • patient-reported outcomes
  • multidisciplinary care
  • precision surgery
  • scoliosis
  • spondylolisthesis
  • sagittal plane alteration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 642 KB  
Article
The Association of Receiving a Diagnosis of Idiopathic Scoliosis with the Self-Esteem and Mental Health of Pediatric Patients: A Cohort Study
by Petar Kaliterna, Ivan Buljan, Ivana Šegvić, Mislav Čimić and Marija Franka Žuljević
Children 2026, 13(7), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13070946 - 18 Jul 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) are at increased risk of emotional distress, yet little is known about the immediate psychological impact of receiving the diagnosis itself. This study aimed to evaluate short-term changes in self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and stress before and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) are at increased risk of emotional distress, yet little is known about the immediate psychological impact of receiving the diagnosis itself. This study aimed to evaluate short-term changes in self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and stress before and after AIS diagnosis, and in the early post-diagnostic period. Methods: In this cohort study, 179 adolescents (10–18 years) referred for suspected AIS completed the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 21) before clinical and radiographic assessment (T1). Based on clinical findings and Cobb angle measurements, participants were classified as having mild scoliosis (Cobb angle > 10°, <20°) managed with observation alone (Group A, n = 30), moderate/severe scoliosis (Cobb angle > 20°), candidates for bracing treatment (Group B, n = 30), or no scoliosis (Group C, n = 119). Adolescents with scoliosis (Groups A and B) repeated the questionnaires immediately after diagnosis and treatment recommendations (T2). Group B completed a third assessment 1–2 months after initial examination (T3). Results: At baseline, RSES and DASS 21 scores did not differ significantly between groups. Following diagnostic disclosure, Group A showed a significant decline in self-esteem, while both groups showed increases in stress, anxiety, and depression. In Group B, reassessed at T3, stress and anxiety decreased, whereas depression remained elevated relative to baseline. Conclusions: AIS diagnosis was associated with a self-esteem decline that followed a pattern dependent on curve severity, with an immediate drop in mild AIS (Group A) versus a delayed decline emerging one to two months later in moderate/severe cases (Group B). Anxiety and depressive symptoms increased significantly in both groups, while stress increased significantly only in those with moderate/severe scoliosis (Group B). Routine screening of mental health after AIS diagnosis, alongside interdisciplinary care involving mental health professionals, may help identify vulnerable patients and enable timely psychosocial support. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation and Outcomes in Pediatric Spine Care)
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