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Effect of the Chêneau Brace in the Natural History of Moderate Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Girls: Cohort Analysis of a Selected Homogenous Population of 100 Consecutive Skeletally Immature Patients

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Abstract

Study design

Α series study.

Objectives

To evaluate the relationships between the effectiveness of brace in reduction of scoliosis angle, axial trunk rotation (ATR), and patients’ compliance, in skeletally immature females with moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), treated with Chêneau brace for a minimum of three years.

Summary of Background Data

According to some authors, braces are ineffective, whereas others find that braces stop scoliosis progression and that the outcome has been related to patient’s compliance.

Methods

From the 100 patients who were initially recruited, 88 patients were included in the final analysis. The average ± SD primary scoliosis angle before brace application was 36.8° ± 9.9°, 32.7° ± 6.3°, and 33.5° ± 11.5° for major thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar curvatures, respectively. All patients were aged ≥10 years at treatment initiation, and their Risser index varied from 0 to II. Eighty-eight patients were followed for at least three years with brace treatment, whereas 43 patients were reevaluated 31 ± 7 months after brace weaning. In baseline and while in brace, the scoliosis Cobb angle, Risser index, menarche age, ATR, and patient’s compliance were recorded.

Results

In the 88 patients, the brace reduced the major thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar scoliosis one month after brace onset while “in brace” to 26° ± 11° (29% ± 18%, p = .0006), 23° ± 8° (31% ± 20%, p = .00001), and 24° ± 11° (34% ± 21%, p = .00043), respectively; thereafter, no significant decrease of the curves was recorded. Total bracing time averaged at 45 ± 19 months (range 36-96) and brace weaning averaged at 17 ± 2 years (range 15-19). Six of the 88 (6.8%) individuals underwent surgery for scoliosis progression.

In the 43 patients who were reevaluated 31 ± 7 months after brace weaning, scoliosis angle and ATR increased insignificantly, compared to the three years’ values.

Conclusions

Chêneau orthosis reduced while “in brace” AIS in girls with sufficient compliance, with a low rate (6.8%) of patients who underwent surgery.

Level of Evidence

Level 3.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Hospital of Patras, Orthopaedics Department, Patras, 26335, Greece

    Panagiotis Korovessis MD, PhD, Vasileios Syrimpeis MD, Vasileios Tsekouras MD & Konstantinos Vardakastanis BSc

  2. Advanced Medical Research GmbH, Mannedorf, 8708, Switzerland

    Peter Fennema DSc

Authors
  1. Panagiotis Korovessis MD, PhD
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  2. Vasileios Syrimpeis MD
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  3. Vasileios Tsekouras MD
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  4. Konstantinos Vardakastanis BSc
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  5. Peter Fennema DSc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vasileios Tsekouras MD.

Additional information

Author disclosures: PK (none), VS (none), VT (none), KV (none), PF (none). IRB approval: This study was reviewed and approved by the General Hospital of Patras Ethics Committee # 1_13/06/2012.

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Korovessis, P., Syrimpeis, V., Tsekouras, V. et al. Effect of the Chêneau Brace in the Natural History of Moderate Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Girls: Cohort Analysis of a Selected Homogenous Population of 100 Consecutive Skeletally Immature Patients. Spine Deform 6, 514–522 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspd.2018.01.006

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