How quantity and quality of brace wear affect the brace treatment outcomes for AIS

To determine the reliability of a prognostic curve progression model and the role of the quantity and quality of brace wear for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) brace treatment.

To develop a curve progression model for full-time AIS brace treatment, 20 AIS subjects (Group 1) prescribed full-time thoracolumbar sacral orthosis (TLSO) were monitored and followed for 2 years beyond maturity. The developed curve progression model was: curve progression (in degrees) = 33 + 0.11 × Peterson risk (%) − 0.07 in-brace correction (%) − 0.45 × quality (%) − 0.48 × quantity (%) + 0.0062 × quantity × quality. To validate the model, 40 new (test) subjects (Group 2) who met the same inclusion criteria and used the same type of monitors, were monitored and followed for 2 years after bracing.

For the 40 test subjects (Group 2), the average in-brace correction was 40 ± 22 %. The average quantity and quality of the brace wear were 56 ± 19 and 55 ± 17 %, respectively. Twelve subjects (30 %) progressed of which 10 subjects (25 %) required surgery and 28 subjects (70 %) showed no progression. The accuracy of the model to determine which patients would progress was 88 % (35/40) which was better than the Peterson’s risk model (68 %; 26/40) alone. Patients who had the combined quantity times the quality over a threshold 43 % had a success treatment rate of 95 %.

This study showed the prognostic model of brace treatment outcome on AIS patients treated with full-time TLSO was reliable. Both the quantity and quality of the brace wear were important factors in achieving successful brace treatment.