Scoliosis

[estherderu]

a little information on bracing.....

we all know the old Milwaukee and Boston Brace. The last few years three new players have entered the ring and they really look promising.

The SpineCor Brace ... SpineCorporation Home Page Elastic Strapping Orthosis for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Preliminary Report and Initial Clinical Observations - Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, 2002 | American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists
The [B]ScoliOlogiC Chêneau light Brace [/BCorrection effects of the ScoliOlogiC Chêneau light brace in patients with scoliosis Hans-Rudolf Weiss et al Open Access artikel 26-01-2007 Scoliosis | Full text | Correction effects of the ScoliOlogiC(R)Cheneau light" brace in patients with scoliosis [B]]About me

The TriaC Brace [/B]Clinical effect of continuous corrective force delivery in the non-operative treatment of idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective cohort study of the triac-brace Eur.Spine J 2008 february 17(2);231-239 , Med Eng Phys. 2002 Apr;24(3):209-18. A new orthotic device in the non-operative treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. Veldhuizen AG, Cheung J, Bulthuis GJ, Nijenbanning G.

I do not have any experience with them I´m afraid. The Chêneau brace has been around the longest, has been modified a number of times and allows breathing and rib movement in the area you want it. With the SpineCor brace you can even do your gymnastics and with the TriaC brace movement in all planes is possible because of a flexible coupling. Patient can bend forward,backward and sideways with corrective forces maintained. It is suitable for most curves.

Maybe it is time for us physiotherapists to get more involved with the orthopaedic surgeons in finding the best brace solution for our patients. We have the knowledge and right to ask questions about the braces that are being supplied to our patients.

Good luck
Esther de Ru

[estherderu]

dear everybody,

a few interesting articles on scoliosis managment are:

in the online free access journal Scoliosis the following review on surgery has just been published.
Scoliosis | Full text | Rate of complications in scoliosis surgery - a systematic review of the Pub Med literature
In the European Journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine June 2008 2008;44:177-193 The treatment of adolescent ideopathic scoliosis (AIS) according to present evidence. A systematic review H-R Weiss & D. Goodall.

and a little older but interesting.... The natural history of scoliosis in spastic cerebral palsy. Naoto Saito et al in The Lancet Vol 351 june 6 1998

kind regards

Esther