The accumulation of bone mineral content and density in idiopathic scoliotic adolescents treated with bracing.

e aimed to investigate the accumulation of bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) during bracing treatment in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Using a dual energy x-ray absorptiometer, initial and follow-up BMC and BMD measurements were taken in the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and the dominant (left) femoral neck of a total of 40 AIS patients who were treated with braces. Using a paired 't' test, both BMC and BMD of both sites, at the follow-up of about 6 months and 12 months, were significantly higher than those right before bracing treatment (p<0.05). BMD measured at all sites increased at a rate similar to reported normal values in patients who had normal BMD as well as those who had lower initial BMD. No significant correlation was found between increase in BMC and BMD and daily brace wear (p>0.05). In conclusion, both BMC and BMD levels grew during brace treatment in AIS at a speed similar to reported normal values, suggesting that bracing dose not appear to adversely affect the accumulation of bone mass in AIS.