The daily force pattern of spinal orthoses in subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

The efficacy of orthotic treatment for children with abnormal spinal curvature has been hampered by the lack of comprehensive information about wear characteristics. A battery-powered microcomputer system was developed to monitor loads exerted by orthoses used to treat children with spinal deformities during daily living. The system not only records how well the orthosis has been used, but also helps to ensure that the orthosis is being worn as prescribed. Data acquisition is controlled by a microcontroller and can be programmed to have sample intervals ranging from 1 second to 1 hour. Low power control circuitry is designed so that the system can be operated by a battery. In a preliminary study, 16 subjects (3M, 13F) used this system from 1 to 16 days (9.3 +/- 5.0) with the prescribed hours between 16 to 23 hours (22.3 +/- 1.3). This study demonstrated the feasibility of the approach, and that this device may increase the understanding of orthotic mechanics, and may help patients to wear their orthoses in a better way.