SpineCor Brace

The SpineCor brace is a revolutionary new concept in the treatment of scoliosis. Past braces utilized rigid structures to physically apply pressure to the spine and force it back into a more normal position. The SpineCor brace is completely different in the fact that it is not rigid and does not force the spine to move.

The SpineCor brace works it targets the four key progression factors of idiopathic scoliosis:

Neuromuscular dysfunction
Growth Asymmetry
Postural disorganization
Spinal deformation

Where the old style rigid braces only target spinal deformation. Hence, when rigid braces are removed, there is a high likelihood that the spine will regress back to its original state. With the SpineCor brace the results are maintained out of the brace in 97% of patients. This far exceeds rigid braces.

The SpineCor concept is unique in the fact that the results are achieved not so much by the brace but by the interaction of the brace with the patients Corrective Movement. Researchers at the St. Justine Children's hospital in Montreal Canada have developed Corrective Movements for all types of idiopathic scoliosis to "open up" or correct the curves. The patient is then braced in that corrective movement and held there 20 hours per day by the elastic bands that make up the brace. The real action in the brace is in the elastic bands. As the patient goes through the movements of the day, they stretch the elastic bands and the bands then resist and pull them back into the corrective movement. This stimulates the growth centers in the deformed vertebra and it stimulates the neuromuscular system and over time the gentle resistance of the brace and the reprogramming of the bodies neuromuscular pattern results in a relatively permanent stabilization or correction of the scoliosis in 89% of patients. These are phenomenal results!

So instead of the patient walking around like a robot in a rigid brace that does not allow much movement. They can do virtually any physical activity they want, except swimming, in the brace. In fact exercise and activity are absolutely essential for the brace to work. So the patient's lifestyle is hardly affected with the SpineCor brace. This is a huge benefit of its use.

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Brace Criteria

The SpineCor brace can be used on children ages 5 to 16. The most common age group is adolescents ages 12-16. The SpineCor brace has been developed and shown to be effective in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. Use of the SpineCor brace on other types of scoliosis has not yet been evaluated.

The SpineCor brace has been shown to be effective in treating Cobb angles between 20 to 50 degrees in all classifications of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

The SpineCor brace most effective if bracing starts early before the 1st growth spurt, in what is called Risser 0. However, the SpineCor brace has been shown to be effective in more advanced years of maturity, Risser Signs 1-3, as well.

We must also look at the mental state of a possible patient, because in all reality, the best results come from a compliant patient. If a teenager is not emotionally ready to accept the brace and be committed to wearing it then the success of the brace will be jeopardized. However, the SpineCor brace is, at this time, the most comfortable, wearable, efficient and successful brace available, so the acceptance rate is higher due to these factors.

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In order to bring about the desired results the SpineCor brace must be worn 20 out of 24 hours per day. This is less than rigid braces. Patients get two (2) hour breaks per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. SpineCor research has determined that the minimum time period for bracing is 18 months, but most cases will average 24 months in the brace or longer. It depends on the amount of skeletal maturity when the patient is ready to wean from the brace. Below is the progression of follow up visits after the initial visit, and what occurs on each of those visits.

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On your first visit to our office 3 types of exams will be performed. It is necessary for the patient to where form fitting clothing. Girls should wear tighter shorts and a jog bra and boys should wear shorts like bicycle shorts. Loose clothing will hinder our postural and clinical exams.

Clinical exam : This is where we will assess the contours of the spine using a scoliometer, which is a device to determine the inclination at certain segments of the spine. We will take your height both standing and seated and we will take measurements of the chest, thighs and spinal regions.
Postural exam : During this exam we will assess the shifts, rotations and contours of the patients posture using a visual inspection and a laser inspection. Certain types of scoliosis create certain postural deformities, which assist in the classification of the scoliosis.
X-ray exam : We will take 3 x-ray views during this exam. They are a back to front standing X-ray of the full spine, a standing side view of the entire spine and a laying front to back view of the full spine. These three views combined allow us to get a very good idea of the classification of scoliosis. The back to front standing view allows us to measure the curves using the Cobb analysis. The side view allows us to see if the normal curves are too flat or too curved or just right. Finally, the laying view allows us to determine the flexibility of the curve, which helps in determining the prognosis for correction or stabilization.
Once all of these exams are completed, we will enter all the data into what is called the Scoliosis Assistant Software, which helps us in the classification of the scoliosis and the chances of reducing the curves. Once we complete these exams we should know if the patient is a good candidate for the SpineCor brace or not. If a patient is a good candidate then we will schedule a date the following week to return to fit the brace. If a patient is not a good candidate then they will be referred to the proper provider for further consultation.

We will also have a consultation during this first visit to cover the costs of the brace and the likelihood of insurance helping out or not.

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Brace fitting day is a big day. It is a good idea on this day to bring the whole family and even the closest friends of the patient. This helps the patient except their brace better and also allows the family and friends to see what the brace is all about and how they can assist the patient in wearing it.
First of all we will introduce the patient to there brace and show them all the components. For girls there will be a body suit provided by SpineCor. The body suit is to be worn under the brace to keep the components from rubbing. Boys should look at getting some under armor shirts and underwear to wear under their brace.

Before we begin fitting the brace we will instruct the patient and their family in the corrective movement. This is the series of movements that the patient will perform to correct their scoliosis. Each time the brace is put on the patient will have to perform their corrective movement, so it is essential that everyone is familiar with it. Once we have mastered the corrective movement then we will begin fitting the brace.

The first component of the brace to be fit will be the pelvic base. We will apply it to the patient and then have them move around and sit in it to determine if it is on correctly and allows easy movement. The second component we will place is the Bolero, which we will keep in place with some comfort bands. Lastly we will place the corrective bands. To do this we will have the patient perform their corrective movement and then we will place a series of 4 bands in varying positions to hold the patient in their corrective movement. Some of the bands will be tight and some will be loose.

Once the brace is fit we will perform the clinical and postural evaluations that we performed on the first visit. This will give us a comparison to the first visit to see if there has been any reduction in the postures and scoliometer measurements in the brace. We will input this data into the SAS software.

Following those exams we will then take a full spine back to front x-ray in the brace to see how the spine is changed wearing the brace. We are looking for changes of 1 or 2 degrees up to 12 degrees difference in the post x-ray. We will also take these new x-ray measurements and input them into the SAS software and then the computer will give us an updated prognosis for stabilization or correction.

Once these exams are done, we will trim any extra lengths of straps off and burn the ends and then we will have the patient take off and put on the brace 3 or 4 times to get them very comfortable in applying it correctly. All patients will be sent home with printed instructions on how to fit their brace. Once this is completed the visit will be over and the patient will be scheduled to return in a month for their first follow up

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