Scoliosis: Life, Support & Friends

ScoliosisJournal posted a new article which talks about the correlation study between in-brace correction, compliance to spinal orthosis and health-related quality of life of patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Authors:  Siu Ling Chan , Kenneth MC Cheung , Keith DK Luk , Kenneth WH Wong and Man Sang Wong Background It has been proposed that in-brace correction is the best guideline for prediction of the results of brace treatment for patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). However, bracing may be a stressful experience for patients and bracing non-compliance could be psychologically related. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between brace compliance, in-brace correction and QoL of patients with AIS. Methods Fifty-five patients with a diagnosis of AIS were recruited. All were female and aged 10?years or above when a brace was prescribed, none had undergone prior treatment, and all had a Risser sign of 0?2 and a...

iScoliosis recently published an article in relation to: Pulmonary function after less invasive anterior instrumentation and fusion for idiopathic thoracic scoliosis Published: 21 August 2013 Purpose: Standard thoracotomy for anterior instrumentation and fusion of the thoracic spine in idiopathic scoliosis may have detrimental effects on pulmonary function. In this study we describe a less invasive anterior surgical technique and show the pre- and postoperative pulmonary function with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Methods Twenty patients with Lenke type 1 adolescent thoracic idiopathic scoliosis were treated with anterior spinal fusion and instrumentation. The mean preoperative Cobb angle of the thoracic curve was 53[degree sign] +/- 5.8. Pulmonary function tests (PFT) and radiographic evaluation was performed. Results The mean postoperative correction in Cobb angle of the thoracic curve was 27[degree sign] +/- 8.2 (49%). The mean preoperative FEV1...

Hey everyone! Hi to everyone, especially Simone! Oh my holy ghost. I totally forgot about this blog for about a year, I hope I'm still welcome! Truth is... I lost my password. But now I'm back :) Just tell me to get lost if you like hahaha, I totally ditched the scoliosis community for a long time! Well just to let you know, my spine is now at 16 degrees both curves (i think) and has been for the past year or so. I am still undergoing bracing -.- which is so very very annoying and really hard on hot scorching days like this! But I will probably be done with bracing and with worrying about scoliosis for life by February! Which will be really exciting for me, for my 16th birthday I will be brace free! I haven't been brace free since the 7th of March 2008. Anyway I'm sorry I was momentarily lost in cyberspace, I promise I will still keep in touch after I'm done with my brace and answer first-timer brace-wearers' questions. I have about 3 years experience with braci...

Genetic aspects of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in a family with multiple affected members: a research article Authors: Marcelo Wajchenberg, Monize Lazar, Natale Cavaçana, Delio Eulalio Martins, Luciana Licinio, Eduardo Barros Puertas, Elcio Landim, Mayana Zatz and Akira Ishida Background The etiology of idiopathic scoliosis remains unknown and different factors have been suggested as causal. Hereditary factors can also determine the etiology of the disease; however, the pattern of inheritance remains unknown. Autosomal dominant, X-linked and multifactorial patterns of inheritances have been reported. Other studies have suggested possible chromosome regions related to the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis. We report the genetic aspects of and investigate chromosome regions for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in a Brazilian family. Methods Evaluation of 57 family members, distributed over 4 generations of a Brazilian family, with 9 carriers of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis...

ScoliosisJournal have just released a new white paper regarding The Trunk Appearance Perception Scale (TAPS): a new tool to evaluate subjective impression of trunk deformity in patients with idiopathic scoliosis Authors: Juan Bago Judith Sanchez-Raya, Franciso Javier Sanchez, Perez-Grueso, Jose Maria Climent Background Outcome assessment in idiopathic scoliosis should probably include patients' perception of their trunk deformity in addition to self-image. This can be accomplished with the Walter Reed Visual Assessment Scale (WRVAS). Nevertheless, this instrument has some shortcomings: the drawings are abstract and some figures do not relate to the corresponding radiological deformity. These considerations prompted us to design the Trunk Appearance Perception Scale (TAPS). Methods Patients with idiopathic scoliosis and no prior surgical treatment were included. Each patient completed the TAPS and SRS-22 questionnaire and underwent a complete radiographic study of the spine...

ScoliosisJournal reported about the measurement of vertebral rotation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with low-dose CT in prone position - method description and reliability analysis. Authors: Kasim Abul-Kasim , Magnus K Karlsson , Ralph Hasserius and Acke Ohlin Background To our knowledge there is no report in the literature on measurements of vertebral rotation with low-dose computed tomography (CT) in prone position. Aims To describe and test the reliability of this new method, compare it with other methods in use and evaluate the influence of body position on the degree of vertebral rotation measured by different radiological methods. Study design: Retrospective study. Methods 25 consecutive patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis scheduled for surgery (17 girls, 8 boys) aged 15+/-2 years (mean+/-SD) were included in the analysis of this study. The degree of the vertebral rotation was in all patients measured according to the method of Perdriolle on standing plain r...

Abstract From the time of its initial, informal meetings starting in 1980 to its formal creation in 1990, the IRSSD has met on a bi-annual basis to discuss all aspects of the spine and associated deformities. It has encouraged open discussion on all topics and, in particular, has tried to be the seed-bed for new ideas. The members are spread around the world and include people from all areas of academia as well as the most important people, the patients themselves. Most notably, application of the ideas and results of the research has always been at the forefront of the discussions. This paper was conceived with the idea of evaluating the impact made by the IRSSD over the last 30 years in the various areas and is intended to create discussion for the upcoming meeting in Montreal regarding future focus: "We are lost over the Atlantic Ocean but we are making good time." Introduction Ever since the days when deformities of the spine were considered from a topographical poin...

Author: Laura Buchholz Although there is some evidence that adolescents with scoliosis may benefit from wearing hard or elastic braces to correct spinal curvature, research thus far has failed to prove definitively that bracing works, the investigators conclude. The evidence for bracing is weak, as is the evidence of any long-term benefits of bracing, Dr. Stefano Negrini of the Italian Scientific Spine Institute of Milan, Italy, and colleagues report in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Negrini and his team searched the medical literature for studies comparing braces with no treatment, other treatment, surgery, and different types of braces. From a pool of 1,285 titles, the researchers read 128 full texts, and found only 2 that fit their criteria. One study involved 286 girls; some wore a brace, some received electrical stimulation, and some received no tre...

ScoliosisJournal have reported on an unusual case where the reversal of childhood idiopathic scoliosis is now present in the patient as an adult, without surgery: a case report and literature review Authors: William J Brooks, Elizabeth A Krupinski and Martha C Hawes Background Some patients with mild or moderate thoracic scoliosis (Cobb angle Case Presentation A diagnosis of thoracic scoliosis (Cobb angle 45 degrees) with pectus excavatum and thoracic hypokyphosis in a female patient (DOB 9/17/52) was made in June 1964. Immediate spinal fusion was strongly recommended, but the patient elected a daily home exercise program taught during a 6-week period of training by a physical therapist. This regime was carried out through 1992, with daily aerobic exercise added in 1974. The Cobb angle of the primary thoracic curvature remained unchanged. Ongoing clinical symptoms included dyspnea at rest and recurrent respiratory infections. A period of multimodal treatment with clinical monitoring a...

I have removed some of the medical jargon that comes with these studies to enable us to try and understand more, I have offered the option of downloading the PDF at the bottom of the page for those who wish to read all the study. Study Key Points: Posterior Basicranium (PBA), divided in 2 parts joined to the foramen magnum, presents a torque in Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) PBA torque reflects cerebellar asymmetry in IS. PBA torque induces spatial asymmetry of the vestibular system and specially, of the otolithic system, with potential consequences on vestibular function and posture in IS. Study Abstract PBA asymmetry and idiopathic scoliosis Study design Are there neuro-anatomical abnormalities associated with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) Posterior Basicranium (PBA) reflects cerebellum growth and contains vestibular organs, two structures suspected to be involved in scoliosis. Objective The aim of this study was to compare posterior basicranium asymmetry (PBA) in Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) an...