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Can Botox-Like shots straighten Teens' spines?

NCT ID NCT03935295

Disease control Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether injecting Dysport (a muscle relaxant similar to Botox) into back muscles, combined with wearing a brace, can improve spine curvature in teens aged 10-16 with mild to moderate scoliosis. About 90 participants will receive either Dysport or a placebo, plus a custom brace. The main goal is to see if the curve angle changes over time.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a non-surgical way to slow or reduce spine curvature in teens with scoliosis, potentially avoiding the need for surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a small Phase 4 study with only 90 participants. The treatment may not improve curve progression more than bracing alone, and injections carry risks like muscle weakness or pain.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

About 90 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Sep 2020

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

10 to 16 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria: * Clinically determined idiopathic nature of scoliosis * Age 10-16 years * Risser stage 0,1,or 2 * major curve of 20°-40° * curve apex caudal to T7 vertebra * ability to adhere to bracing protocol * Botulinum toxin naïve or previously treated greater than 6 months prior to study entry Exclusion criteria: * Diagnosis of congenital scoliosis, neuromuscular scoliosis, or other "reason" for scoliosis - Previous surgery at any segment of the spine * Current need for surgery at any level of the spine * Treatment with any drug known to interfere with neuromuscular function * Any other medical condition, laboratory or diagnostic procedure finding that might preclude administration of BTX * Ongoing infection at the injection sites * Diagnosis as either resistant or sensitive to botulinum toxin treatment of any type or to any components of the BTX formulation * Cow milk protein allergy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Johns Hopkins University

    RECRUITING

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

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