title: Surface electrical stimulation in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis: preliminary results in 30 patients.
abstract: From 1978 to 1981, 30 patients have been treated for idiopathic scoliosis with surface electrical stimulation using the E.S.O. (Electro Spinal Orthosis) Single Channel designed by Medtronics. The criteria for selection were: patients who were skeletally immature; single thoracic, thoracolumbar or lumbar curvatures between 30 degrees and 40 degrees; or the same curve pattern greater than 20 degrees with 5 degrees of documented progression in one year; patient and family reliability. Patients with previous treatment were excluded from the study. No one was more than 15 years of age. Curve amplitude was between 25 degrees and 35 degrees in 72% of the patients. Curve pattern was single thoracic in 28 patients, thoracolumbar in one, and lumbar in one. Five patients were excluded from the evaluation of the results of stimulation of the correction of the curve. Of the 25 patients remaining, one was improved, 14 were stable, two had mild acceptable progression (less than 10 degrees with no need for further treatment), and eight had an unacceptable progression greater than 10 degrees requiring some form of alternative treatment. The authors conclude that significant improvement in the curvatures under treatment was extremely unlikely, that progression may have been stopped in some curves, that the curvatures under 30 degrees had the best results, and that curvatures that do not respond to surface electrical stimulation are not likely to respond to a Milwaukee brace treatment.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012867:Skin