Radiological evaluation of treatment with SpineCor brace in children with idiopathic spinal scoliosis.

INTRODUCTION. This paper reports on a radiological evaluation of the outcomes of treatment with the SpineCor brace in children with idiopathic spinal scoliosis vs. a control group who had only received 24 months of rehabilitation. The compliance of the SpineCor-treated patients with medical instructions was also assessed. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A prospective evaluation encompassed a group of forty (40) children, treated with a SpineCor brace for idiopathic scoliosis. A control group included forty (40) children who were followed up. The mean age of the children was 12.0 years and sixty-six (66) of the patients were girls. The study group and the control group were comparable in terms of demographic data and radiological parameters of scoliosis. The mean scoliosis angle was 25.3˚ and 26.1˚ in the thoracic and lumbar spine, respectively. RESULTS. In the (SpineCor-treated) study group, stabilisation or improvement of the scoliosis was obtained in 31 (78%) patients, while progression was noted in 9 (22%). In the control group, stabilisation was found in 21 (53%) patients and progression in 19 (47%), while none of the children met improvement criteria. In the brace-treated group, a smaller change in the thoracic curvature angle was observed (R=0.34, p=0.0001) than in the control group, while no such difference was identified at the lumbar spine level (R=0.15, p=0.18). Out of the 40 treated children, 38 used the brace regularly. Four of the children were active in sports above recreation level. CONCLUSIONS. The treatment of idiopathic spinal scoliosis in children by means of the SpineCor dynamic brace solution significantly more frequently led to stabilisation or correction of scoliosis as measured by Cobb's angle. A high compliance of the children and their parents was also observed.

Clinical assessment of the efficacy of SpineCor brace in the correction of postural deformities in the course of idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to perform a clinical, comparative assessment of the degree of postural deformities before and after the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in patients treated with SpineCor brace compared to the control group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 90 children with idiopathic scoliosis (including 74 girls) at the average age of 12.2 was subject to prospective observation. Average pre-treatment Cobb angle was 24.9° in the thoracic spine and 25.8° in the lumbar spine. The group actively treated with the SpineCor brace consisted of 45 children, while the control group consisted of the remaining 45 children with the natural course of the disease. RESULTS: Both groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, gender, height, body weight, Risser sign of skeletal maturity and baseline clinical and radiological parameters of scoliosis. Significant reduction of rib hump was observed upon 2-year SpineCor brace treatment (P=0.04) compared to the group treated by physiotherapy only (P=0.91). Similarly, improvement in lumbar prominence was observed in the actively treated group (P=0.009), with a trend towards worse results in the control group (P=0.07) In the group treated with the SpineCor brace, significant reduction in pectoral and hamstring muscle contractures as well as reduction in shoulder asymmetry and reduction in anterior and posterior vertical deviation were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment using the SpineCor dynamic brace leads to a clinical improvement in posture, particularly to reduction in rib hump, lumbar prominence and muscular contractures.