Abstract:   Previous research on bracing members show that the ductility of bracing members is compromised due to the buckling phenomena. Therefore, many researchers have tried to use special considerations to increase the fracture life of bracing members. Some of these recommendations such as increasing the slenderness ratio, using lower width to thickness ratio, increasing the out-of-p...

Background A recently published NIH-funded study named “Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial” (BrAIST) affirmed the efficacy of bracing for moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and reduced surgical recommendations in braced patients. The implications of this study are numerous. BrAIST affirms the value of bracing, but also confirms the importance of wear time, and points t...

Methods We retrospectively observed 13 patients with the diagnosis of LS. 7 of them needed bracing because of lumbar kyphosis, while the others were treated only with physical exercises to control pain and prevent deformity. All patients treated with bracing (3 males and 4 females, average age 13.5 years) presented at first observation with back pain, lumbar kyphosis, and a radiographic image o...

One of the most crucial components of a tall building is its lateral loading system. In this paper, we provide the development of a lateral bracing system that results in bracing material savings of up to 50% relative to a traditional X-Bracing system, as well as lighter corner columns due to the more efficient load paths of the lateral forces to the base. The solution naturally follows a linea...

BACKGROUND Many patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) have spinal instability but are determined, by their clinician, to be unsuitable for surgical internal fixation due to their advanced disease. Mobilisation may be hazardous in the presence of spinal instability as further vertebral collapse can occur. Current guidance on positioning (or mobilisation) and spinal bracing is c...

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND The use of external cervical orthosis (ECO) after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) varies from physician to physician due to an absence of clear guidelines. Our purpose is to evaluate and present evidence answering the question, "Does ECO after ACDF improve fusion rates?" through a literature review of current evidence for and against ECO after ACDF.  R...

PURPOSE We report a comparison study of vertebral body stapling (VBS) versus a matched bracing cohort for immature patients with moderate (25 to 44°) idiopathic scoliosis (IS). METHODS 42 of 49 consecutive patients (86%) with IS were treated with VBS and followed for a minimum of 2 years. They were compared to 121 braced patients meeting identical inclusion criteria. 52 patients (66 curves) w...

We performed a biomechanical study on human cadaver spines to determine the effect of three different interbody cage designs, with and without posterior instrumentation, on the three-dimensional flexibility of the spine. Six lumbar functional spinal units for each cage type were subjected to multidirectional flexibility testing in four different configurations: intact, with interbody cages from...

With use of data culled from twenty studies, members of the Prevalence and Natural History Committee of the Scoliosis Research Society conducted a meta-analysis of 1910 patients who had been managed with bracing (1459 patients), lateral electrical surface stimulation (322 patients), or observation (129 patients) because of idiopathic scoliosis. Three variables - the type of treatment, the level...