Researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of a 3D-printed brace in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), and compared the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients treated with two types of braces. They concluded that the 3D-printed brace was lighter, thinner, and more comfortable than conventional braces, improved patients’ HRQoL, and reduced the progression of major curve Cobb progression and surgery rates.
From September 2017 to August 2020, 103 AIS patients requiring nonoperative management were prospectively recruited for the study. Fifty-five patients were included in the cohort of 3D printed braces and 48 patients were included in the e TLSO cohort.
Follow-ups and clinical and radiological examinations were conducted every six months, and included a full-length anteroposterior x-ray of the spine in the standing position. At the last follow-up, each patient completed a standardized HRQoL questionnaire.
The TLSO used in testing had a thickness of 4mm; the 3D-printed brace had a thickness of 3mm. Compared with the material used in the TLSO, the weight of the 3D-printed brace materials with the same area was reduced by about 25-30 percent.
The maximum Cobb angle of major curve in the 3D-printed brace cohort was significantly lower than those in the TLSO cohort at six months, 12 months, and the last follow-up. The thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis of the two cohorts at the last follow-up were lower than those before brace treatment, and there was a significant difference in thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis between the cohorts at the follow-up.
The scores of physical function, pain, self-image, mental health, and treatment satisfaction in the SRS-22 in the 3D-printed brace cohort were higher than those in the TLSO cohort. The scores of the 3D-printed brace cohort were significantly higher than those of the TLSO group in the four dimensions of the EuroQol-5D health description system except for mobility, and the overall health status of EuroQol-5D was higher for the 3D-printed brace cohort.
At the last follow-up, one patient in the 3D-printed brace cohort and ten patients in the TLSO cohort had major curve Cobb progression of greater than 6 degrees, and the rate of major curve Cobb progression in 3D-printed brace cohort was significantly lower than that in the TLSO cohort. One patient in the 3D-printed brace and seven patients in the TLSO cohorts received subsequent surgery or was recommended for surgery, and the rate of conversion to surgery was significantly lower than in the 3DPB cohort.
The study, “Patient-specific 3D-printed brace for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A prospective cohort study,” was published in World Neurosurgery.
