Assessment of the pressure developed between scoliosis brace and patient's body and evaluation of the effective time of treatment

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to confirm the effective time of use of the brace, for an accurate assessment of treatment from the therapist. Experiments were performed on a Dynamic Derotation Brace (DDB). Two devices have been designed, a data holder and a reader which give to the therapist the opportunity to certify the achievement of the brace’s effective time. The accuracy of the recorded time is immunized by a system of switches, which are placed at appropriate points without giving direct access to the patient. The DDB together with the embedded data holder applied in 50 patients. After six months from the first application of the DDB, the therapist using the data reader is able to read and verify the exact time of use of the brace. Forty four patients had fully followed the treatment for the time period set by the therapist (23 hours every day), three followed the treatment to a satisfactory degree (18-20 hours every day) and the rest applied the treatment for a shorter period of time than prescribed by the therapist (less than 18 hours every day). Both devices offer great potential in the way of making more effective the treatment of scoliosis and may be to achieve control of pressure in the desired points of the body.