Treatment of thoraco-lumbar curves in adolescent females affected by idiopathic scoliosis with a progressive action short brace (PASB): assessment of results according to the SRS committee on bracing and nonoperative management standardization criteria.
BACKGROUND
The effectiveness of conservative treatment of scoliosis is controversial. Some studies suggest that brace is effective in stopping curve progression, whilst others did not report such an effect.The purpose of the present study was to effectiveness of Progressive Action Short Brace (PASB) in the correction of thoraco-lumbar curves, in agreement with the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Committee on Bracing and Nonoperative Management Standardisation Criteria.


METHODS
Fifty adolescent females (mean age 11.8 +/- 0.5 years) with thoraco-lumbar curve and a pre-treatment Risser score ranging from 0 to 2 have been enrolled. The minimum duration of follow-up was 24 months (mean: 55.4 +/- 44.5 months). Antero-posterior radiographs were used to estimate the curve magnitude (CM) and the torsion of the apical vertebra (TA) at 5 time points: beginning of treatment (t1), one year after the beginning of treatment (t2), intermediate time between t1 and t4 (t3), end of weaning (t4), 2-year minimum follow-up from t4 (t5). Three situations were distinguished: curve correction, curve stabilisation and curve progression.The Kruskal Wallis and Spearman Rank Correlation tests have been used as statistical tests.


RESULTS
CM mean value was 29,30 +/- 5,16 SD at t1 and 14,67 +/- 7,65 SD at t5. TA was 12.70 +/- 6,14 SD at t1 and 8,95 +/- 5,82 at t5. The variation between measures of Cobb and Perdriolle degrees at t1,2,3,4,5 and between CM t5-t1 and TA t5-t1 were significantly different.Curve correction was accomplished in 94% of patients, whereas a curve stabilisation was obtained in 6% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The PASB, due to its peculiar biomechanical action on vertebral modelling, is highly effective in correcting thoraco-lumbar curves.
Aulisa
Angelo G
AG
Orthopaedic Department, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio, 4 - 00165 Rome, Italy.
Guzzanti
Vincenzo
V
University of Cassino, Strada Folcara, 4 - 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy.|Orthopaedic Department, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio, 4 - 00165 Rome, Italy.
Galli
Marco
M
Department of Orthopaedics, "A. Gemelli" Hospital, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli, 1 - 00168, Rome, Italy.
Perisano
Carlo
C
Department of Orthopaedics, "A. Gemelli" Hospital, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli, 1 - 00168, Rome, Italy.
Falciglia
Francesco
F
Orthopaedic Department, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio, 4 - 00165 Rome, Italy.
Aulisa
Lorenzo
L
Department of Orthopaedics, "A. Gemelli" Hospital, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli, 1 - 00168, Rome, Italy.