Is the Boston brace mechanically effective in AIS?

The application of three-point loading is thought to be the essential basis for effective bracing of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Care is taken to ensure that active pressure pad is located to provide maximum support to the apex of the scoliosis while minimizing its lordosising effect. Paradoxically, while cited as an essential factor in the design of braces, there is no consensus as to the importance of such loading to the clinical effectiveness of braces. It may be that braces are effective but that they are effective for reasons unrelated to mechanics. There are few studies that link brace mechanics and change in spinal alignment. Optimal bracing for AIS requires a much better understanding of the role of the mechanical support of braces used to treat AIS. Sixteen subjects, 3 males and 13 females, were participated to this study to determine the correlation between quantity and quality of brace wear and treatment outcomes in AIS. This study showed that the target force levels set for the active pad in braces prescribed for the treatment of AIS vary considerably and that brace applies the desired load 25% of the prescribed time.