A feasibility study of application of purpose-design frame and 3-D clinical ultrasound in assessment and design of spinal orthoses for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Background: The immediate in-orthosis correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a useful prognostic parameter for the long-term orthotic treatment outcome. The 3-D clinical ultrasound technique is considered a noninvasive alternative to assess scoliotic deformities that could be applied in the orthotic treatment of AIS. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a purpose-design assessment frame in estimating biomechanical effects of the controlling pads of a spinal orthosis under the guidance of the ultrasound system. Methods: Twenty-six subjects with AIS were recruited and arranged to position inside the assessment frame, and controlling pads were applied strategically while the scoliotic deformities were assessed by clinical ultrasound to obtain at least 30% curvature correction, and the body shape was then captured using a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture system, and spinal orthoses were subsequently fabricated. The preorthosis and immediate in-orthosis coronal and sagittal X-rays were used for comparison. Results: X-ray assessments showed that the mean coronal Cobb angle and lumbar lordosis of the subjects from the preorthosis to immediate in-orthosis visits decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from 29.6 degrees to 16.6 degrees, and from 47.2 degrees to 35.3 degrees, respectively. Conclusions: This feasibility study showed that the proposed method would have a good potential to improve orthotic treatment outcome in a documented approach that should be considered for implementation into routine clinical practice aiming to reduce the chance of deformity deterioration leading to surgical intervention. However, a controlled group study is required to compare the results.