This patient received an Owens Carolina Nocturnal Brace. She is 14 years old. She presented with a pre-brace left curve of 28 degrees.
The in brace x-ray shows the curve to be a right -24 degrees. It is possible to see the effect of the brace over the left hip forcing the spine into the over corrected position. This is a very good result. There are many factors that can cause results to vary. The design of the brace is critical. The patient’s flexibility is a major factor.
Through years of development Owens Carolina, has spent time learning from the past. Since the 1940’s a great deal of research has been dedicated to scoliosis bracing. It has always been known that scoliosis is a 3 dimensional issue, not a 2 dimensional problem.
If you look at this x-ray, you will see that the spine, in addition to being pushed past straight, it is de-rotated. As the spine curves, it rotates towards the concavity of the curve. Look at the tear drop shapes in the center of the spine. These are the spinous processes that you can easily feel on your back. The pre-brace x-ray on the left shows these tear drop shapes closer to the inside of the curve. This is rotation. Looking at the x-ray on the right, the spinous processes are easier to see because the curve has been pushed into the opposite direction, forcing the spine to rotate back towards the center. There have also been de-rotation forces built into the nocturnal brace. Rotation is the third element that must be considered if scoliosis bracing is to be successful.
