Abstract
INTRODUCTION: A consecutive series of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), treated between 1968 and 1977 before 21 years of age, with brace (BT, n=127; 122 females and 5 males) were followed at least twenty years after completion of the treatment.
Methods: One hundred and nine patients were reexamined as part of an unbiased personal follow-up, including a clinical examination, radiographs, validated questionnaires in terms of general and disease-specific quality of life aspects as well as present back and pain symptoms. An age- and sex-matched control group (CTR) of 100 persons was randomly selected and subjected to the same examinations.
Results: Curve size (major curve) was mean 38 degrees with a mean increase of 8 degrees from end of treatment to present follow-up. Significantly more patients complained of back pain (77%) in comparison to the control group (58%, p=0.0012), more often lumbar or thoracic pain. Significant but numerically small differences could be found for Oswestry Disability Index and other scores reflecting general back funtion and more patients had been on sick-leave due to the back (38% vs 19%). No differences were found in sociodemographic variables or in general quality of life (SF-36) between the groups. No correlation could be found between pain and its localization and curve size, increase since end of treatment or curve type.
Conclusion: Patients with brace treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were found to have approximately the same back function as the general population. A few were physically severely disabled due to the back
Local Host: British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery. Conference Theme: Congenital Deficiencies of the Lower Limb. These abstracts were prepared by A.Catterall.
