Effects of therapeutic play on children undergoing cast-removal procedures: a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To examine (1) the effectiveness of therapeutic play in reducing anxiety and negative emotional manifestations among children undergoing cast-removal procedures and (2) the satisfaction of parents and cast technicians with cast-removal procedures.

Design: A randomised controlled trial.

Setting: An orthopaedic outpatient department of a regional teaching hospital in Hong Kong.

A reliability and validity study for Scolioscan: a radiation-free scoliosis assessment system using 3D ultrasound imaging.

Background: Radiographic evaluation for patients with scoliosis using Cobb method is the current gold standard, but radiography has radiation hazards. Several groups have recently demonstrated the feasibility of using 3D ultrasound for the evaluation of scoliosis. Ultrasound imaging is radiation-free, comparatively more accessible, and inexpensive.