Background: The conservative orthopaedic treatment of adult scoliosis is very disappointing. In a series of 144 patients; only 25 % (33 cases) were monitored at 2 years of treatment. (Papadopoulos 2013). Thereby the literature typically focuses on a small number of patients, which limits the usefulness and relevance of its results. The brace effect on pain has been systematically described, but there is no publication on the effect of treatment on the Cobb angle and main clinical parameters.
Methods: From a prospective database started in 1998, we selected all 158 consecutive patients effectively treated conservatively with the Lyon management treatment and controlled five years after brace fitting. Lyon management includes a lordosing bivalve polyethylene overlapping brace in association with specific physiotherapy. The brace can either be short with anterior support under the chest or long with sterno-clavicular support when there is a high thoracic kyphosis.
Results: 1. For the rate of scoliosis controlled after 5 years, the follow-up was 24 % of the 661 patients accepting the treatment. Pain is almost the main reason for the medical consultation, generally correlating with an increase of the scoliotic angulation. 2. The descriptive data can be superimposed on general group with age (m=56 years, SD=13) but initial Cobb angulation is significantly higher (m=40°, SD=17). Ratio Female/Male=0.91. Generally, the scoliosis is stabilized at (m=39.74 °, SD=19.40), 8 years after the beginning of the treatment. 38 improvements of more than 5°= 24 %; 88 stable = 56 %; 32 worsening of more than 5° = 20 % The rib hump is improved of by 3 mm, (modelling effect of the brace). The occipital axis is improved by more than 6 mm. But the T1 plumb line distance is worsening by 7 mm (most braces are short without sterno-clavicular support).
Conclusions: For the first time, the number of records and follow up after 8 years allows to study the radiological progression of adult scoliosis rigid bracing. Stability or improvement of more than 5° in 80 % of cases justify rigid bracing in adults. The accentuation of the thoracic kyphosis is the only negative element and a modified ARTbrace will soon be used.