We investigated the effect of exercise habits on abdominal muscle strength in postoperative adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Methods: Fifty-nine female patients were evaluated quantitatively for abdominal muscle strength before and 1 and 2 years after surgery using sits-up according to the Japanese National Physical Fitness Test. The number of sits-up times in 30 seconds was recorded and the rate of change (%) at 2 year after surgery was calculated. The patients were divided into

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... athletic and non-athletic groups based on their preoperative club affiliation. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the numbers of sits-up performed preoperatively and two years after surgery and correlations between the rate of change (%) at 2 year after surgery and postoperative Cobb angle, Cobb angle correction rate, number of vertebral bodies fixed, Lowest Instrumented Vertebra (LIV), and forward bending were examined within each group. Results: The athletic group showed improvement in sits-up to the same level as preoperative at 2 years postoperatively, while the non-athletic group did not recover. Conclusions: The abdominal muscle strength of patients with exercise habits recovers to the preoperative level 2 years after surgery.