title: Clinical assessment of the efficacy of SpineCor brace in the correction of postural deformities in the course of idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Rehabilitation Department, Voivodship Centre for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of Motor Organs, Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plewka
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sibiński
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Synder
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Witoński
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kołodziejczyk-Klimek
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plewka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001915:Braces; D002648:Child; D003286:Contracture / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome