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Electronic monitoring of scoliosis brace wear compliance

  • Technical Note
  • Published:
Journal of Children's Orthopaedics

Abstract

Purpose

Accurate evaluation of patient compliance with scoliosis brace usage has been a challenge for physicians treating patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. This inability to accurately measure compliance has resulted in difficulty in determining brace treatment efficacy. This prospective study was performed to demonstrate the efficacy of using a new electronic brace compliance monitor, the Cricket.

Methods

The Cricket is a small encased circuit that can be attached to the brace and, by means of a temperature sensor, can record brace wear times. This study included ten subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were prescribed the Wilmington scoliosis brace (thoraco-lumbo-sacral orthosis) into which the Cricket sensor was incorporated. Subjects kept a diary of brace wear times.

Results

Comparisons of data for the Cricket, subject diaries, and prescribed brace wear were evaluated. The mean error between the diary times and Cricket recording was 2%. Patient compliance was 78%.

Conclusions

The Cricket is a reliable, accurate, and sensitive device to determine patient compliance with scoliosis brace usage.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Lawall Prosthetics and Orthotics for integrating the sensors into the braces and Creative Micro Designs for manufacturing and providing the Cricket sensors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Research, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, P.O. Box 269, Wilmington, DE, 19899, USA

    Tariq Rahman & Whitney Sample

  2. Department of Spine and Brain Surgery, National Orthopedic and Research Center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

    Battugs Borkhuu

  3. Spinal Concepts, Inc., 2209 Quarry Drive, Reading, PA, 19609, USA

    Aaron G. Littleton

  4. Lawall Prosthetics-Orthotics, Inc., 8028 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19136, USA

    Ed Moran & Stephen Campbell

  5. Department of Orthopedics, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, P.O. Box 269, Wilmington, DE, 19899, USA

    Kenneth Rogers & J. Richard Bowen

Authors
  1. Tariq Rahman
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  2. Battugs Borkhuu
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  3. Aaron G. Littleton
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  4. Whitney Sample
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  5. Ed Moran
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  6. Stephen Campbell
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  7. Kenneth Rogers
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  8. J. Richard Bowen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tariq Rahman.

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Rahman, T., Borkhuu, B., Littleton, A.G. et al. Electronic monitoring of scoliosis brace wear compliance. J Child Orthop 4, 343–347 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11832-010-0266-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11832-010-0266-6

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