Abstract
Bracing is the main non-surgical intervention in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth, in hyperkyphosis (and Scheuermann disease) and occasionally for spondylolisthesis; it can be used in adult scoliosis, in the elderly when pathological curves lead to a forward leaning posture or in adults after traumatic injuries. Bracing can be defined as the application of external corrective forces to the trunk; rigid supports or elastic bands can be used and braces can be custom-made or prefabricated. The state of research in the field of conservative treatment is insufficient and while it can be stated that there is some evidence to support bracing, we must also acknowledge that today we do not have a common and generally accepted knowledge base, and that instead, individual expertise still prevails, giving rise to different schools of thought on brace construction and principles of correction. The only way to improve the knowledge and understanding of brace type and brace function is to establish a single and comprehensive source of information about bracing. This is what the Scoliosis Journal is going to do through the "Brace Technology" Thematic Series, where technical papers coming from the different schools will be published.
Highlights
Bracing is the main non-surgical intervention in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth, in hyperkyphosis and occasionally for spondylolisthesis; it can be used in adult scoliosis, in the elderly when pathological curves lead to a forward leaning posture or in adults after traumatic injuries
Scoliosis journal is focused on spinal deformity
Even though there is some early evidence in favour of bracing [31], the actual knowledge in the field does not yet allow us to classify the existing braces and categorize them beyond the names proposed by the original authors [65,67]
Summary
Scoliosis journal is focused on spinal deformity. Even though there is some early evidence in favour of bracing [31], the actual knowledge in the field does not yet allow us to classify the existing braces and categorize them beyond the names proposed by the original authors [65,67]. The only possible way to increase our collective knowledge in the field is to publish what is being done today by clinicians with the most expertise in a systematic way, so to allow progressive comparisons and a deeper understanding. We are confident that with this new effort the journal will become an important source of information to the world of spinal deformity management, and will increase our understanding of how bracing effects the outcome of these problems. We do all this for the benefit of our patients
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