Abstract Introduction (Rationale) Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity, leading to chest wall deformity and reduced chest wall compliance, which in turn causes restrictive lung disease. Severe scoliosis is often accompanied by ventilation impairment, decreased lung capacity, and an increased risk of respiratory failure. Although spinal or chest wall reconstruction surgery remains the primary treatment approach, other supportive therapies hold significant value in alleviating respiratory discomfort and improving quality of life during disease progression.Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation is a common treatment for respiratory failure, but some patients may be limited by poor tolerance. The negative pressure ventilation provided by the iron lung mimics physiological breathing, offering an alternative support strategy for restrictive lung disease. However, existing research has predominantly focused on pulmonary function and clinical outcomes, with limited attention to patient-centered indicators such as fatigue and quality of life.Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of iron lung therapy and its impact on quality of life for patients with scoliosis-related restrictive lung disease. Methods This study was conducted in 2025. Eligible participants were patients clinically diagnosed with scoliosis accompanied by ventilatory impairment. A total of 8 patients participated in this study. During the study process, all participants completed a pre-treatment questionnaire and underwent physiological parameter measurements before receiving iron lung therapy. Following treatment, participants completed a post-treatment questionnaire and underwent repeat measurements of physiological parameter. Iron lung therapy was administered using standardized treatment duration and frequency to ensure research consistency. Results The results of this study indicate that following iron lung therapy, patients’ heart rate decreased from 97 to 82 beats per minute (p = 0.027) and respiratory rate decreased from 19 to 14 breaths per minute (p = 0.026). Meanwhile, blood oxygen saturation increased from 95% to 99% (p = 0.027). The fatigue index decreased from 35.00 to 22.83 (p = 0.068) and anxiety scale scores decreased from 50.00 to 23.83 (p = 0.028). Additionally, CAT and Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale scores showed significant improvement (p 0.05). These findings indicate that iron lung therapy provides substantial clinical benefits for patients with restrictive lung disease. Conclusions Iron lung therapy can effectively improve physiological function and quality of life in patients with restrictive lung disease associated with scoliosis, suggesting its potential as an adjunctive treatment for such patients. However, further research is needed to confirm the clinical relevance of these findings and evaluate its long-term efficacy. This abstract is funded by: No funding
Lin et al. (Fri,) studied this question.