Many new scoliosis braces are defined by a surname or a town, making it challenging to compare braces and specify the indications of each brace. To create a precise definition of the characteristics of current braces, a consensus group was formed in 2014 to address pertinent terminology and develop a new brace classification. The 17-member, multidisciplinary Brace Classification Study Group (BCSG) is composed of active members of the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) and members from the Non-Operative Committee of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS). Part one of the SOSORT consensus addressing the definitions and providing a visual atlas of bracing was published October 31 in the open access journal Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders.
The BCSG has reached a consensus on 139 terms in 17 domains related to bracing and has provided over 120 figures to serve as an atlas for educational purposes. The domains are:
- Brace fabrication
- Construction of a brace
- Contact
- Brace types
- Brace rigidity
- Material
- Body anatomy/level-s coverage
- Scoliosis classification useful for bracing
- Brace function
- Mechanism of action
- 3D correction
- Visual shape perception
- Evaluation – outcome measure: 1 – Clinical
- Evaluation – outcome measure: 2 – Radiological
- Evaluation – outcome measure: 3 – Bracing
- Prescribed time of bracing
- Health professionals
This publication provides the foundation for future work addressing bracing classification. The second stage will follow the more classical Delphi round 2 and round 3 procedure.