Helmet Therapy for Positional Plagiocephaly: A Systematic Review of the Tools Used to Diagnose, Offer Treatment Recommendations, and Assess Treatment Outcomes of the Condition

Background

Positional plagiocephaly (PP) is an asymmetric deformation of the skull as a consequence of external forces acting on a normal and pliable skull. The prevalence of PP ranges between 19.6% and 46.6%. Treatment options for PP include repositioning, physical therapy, and helmet orthoses. Consensus regarding the treatment of PP remains elusive due to the condition's imprecise natural history, dissimilar diagnostic strategies, and unreliable data asserting treatments' efficacy. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of the tools used to diagnose, suggest treatment strategies, and assess outcomes for PP.

Methods

We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to query a variety of databases. A total of 444 articles were imported into Covidence, a screening and data extraction tool for conducting systematic reviews.

Results

After a series of screenings, 60 articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. The information was entered into a data extraction list consisting of 16 variables in the categories of general information, diagnostic strategies, treatment modalities, and treatment outcomes. Most articles reported retrospective case series, which yielded level 4 evidence. Only one article reported the results of a randomized and blinded outcomes assessment trial. Such article yielded level 1 evidence and was rated as high quality for allocation, concealment, and blinding of personnel.

Conclusion

The strategies used to diagnose and classify PP are a disparate list of measures most of which have no parallels making it impossible to offer treatment recommendations and generate generalizable knowledge.