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 mechanism of action classification is illustrated with information about axial elongation.
Photograph courtesy of 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.
