title: Brace treatment in juvenile idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective study in accordance with the SRS criteria for bracing studies - SOSORT award 2013 winner.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis by age of onset, severity and evolutivity is source of great doubts concerning the purpose and use of conservative treatment. The different clinical experiences leave unsolved the question that arises in applying a conservative treatment when the patients are effectively forward a long growing period, in scoliosis characterized by inevitable evolutivity. The purpose of the present prospective study was to determine the effectiveness of conservative treatment in Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1238 patients treated for idiopathic scoliosis between 1995 and 2012 fulfill the inclusion criteria 163 patients treated with PASB, Lyon brace and Milwaukee. Of these, 113 patients had a definite outcome, 27 have abandoned treatment e 23 are still in treatment. The minimum follow-up was 24 months. Radiographs were used to estimate the curve magnitude (CM) and the torsion of the apical vertebra (TA) at 5 time points: beginning (t1), 6 months after the beginning (t2), intermediate time between t1 and t4 (t3), end of weaning (t4), 2-years minimum follow-up (t5). Three outcomes were distinguished in agreement with SRS criteria: correction, stabilization and progression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results from our study showed that of the 113 patients with a definite outcome CM mean value was 29.6 ± 7.5 SD at t1 and 16.9 ± 11.1 SD at t5. TA was 13.5 ± 5.4 SD at t1 and 8.5 ± 5.6 at t5. The variations between CM t5-t1 and TA t5-t1 were statistically significantly different. Curve correction was accomplished in 88 patients (77.8%), stabilization was obtained in 18 patients (15.9%). 7 patients (6.19%) have a progression and 4 of these were recommended for surgery. Of 26 patients who abandoned the treatment, at the time of abandonment (12.5 age) have achieved curve correction in 19 cases (70.0%), stabilization in 5 cases (19%) and progression in 3 cases (11%). Of these patients, reviewed at the end of growing, four have been operated on.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed that conservative treatment with brace is highly effective in treating juvenile idiopathic scoliosis, in particular most patients reaching a complete curve correction and only 4.9% of patients need surgery.
authors.affiliation: U.O.C. of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Aulisa
authors.affiliation: U.O.C. of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy ; University of Cassino, Cassino, FR 03043, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guzzanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital "Agostino Gemelli", Catholic University of the Sacred Heart School of Medicine, Rome 00168, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marzetti
authors.affiliation: U.O.C. of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.affiliation: U.O.C. of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Institute of Scientific Research, P.zza S. Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falciglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital "Agostino Gemelli", Catholic University of the Sacred Heart School of Medicine, Rome 00168, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aulisa
keywords: Conservative treatment; Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis; Lyon brace; PASB brace; SOSORT guidelines; Scoliosis research society criteria (SRS)