Orthotic (helmet) therapy in the treatment of plagiocephaly

Abstract

Object. The goal of this study was to review the current literature on orthotic (helmet) therapy use in the treatment of deformational plagiocephaly. Methods. PubMed was used to search English articles using the medical subject headings "deformational plagiocephaly" and "orthosis," and "deformational plagiocephaly" and "helmet." Results. Forty-two articles were found. There were no Class I studies, 7 Class II studies, 1 Class III study, and 13 Class IV studies. Cranial orthoses have been shown to be effective in treating deformational plagiocephaly. It continues to be debated as to whether the statistical significance of treatment with cranial orthoses compared with conservative therapies is clinically significant. Children older than 12 months of age with deformational plagiocephaly may still benefit from orthotic therapy. The long-term effects of orthotic therapy are controversial. Conclusions. There is a lack of Class I literature evidence supporting the use of helmet therapy in deformational plagiocephaly. There are controversies surrounding the use of orthotic therapy such as appropriate use, cost, use in older children, and long-term outcomes. Clinical indications for orthotic therapy need to be better defined with further research studies. © AANS, 2013.