Quality of life and idiopathic scoliosis treated by brace. Transversal study.

Objectives

Determine the influence of orthopeadic treatment on the quality of life (QoL) of childs and adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and treated by carbon brace or Lyon brace. Compare these brace.

Material and method

Transversal study includes 120 subjects affected by idiopathic scoliosis, who visited for routine evaluation of orthotic treatment at the Centre des Massues in Lyon. 82 subjects used the carbon brace and 38 subjects used the Lyon brace. Patients completed the SRS-22, a specific instrument that measures quality of life in spinal deformity and visual analogue scales (VAS) for pain, motive and QoL ranging from 0 to 100mm.

Results

The QoL of Lyon brace-treated is significantly worse than the QoL of carbon brace-treated for the overall score (mean +/- SD, 4.05 +/- 0.37 vs 3.77 +/- 0.46 with p=0.002) as well as function (p=0.01), pain (p=0.001) and appearance (p=0.004). These results are confirmed by the VAS QoL (p=0.001).

Conclusion

The wearing of carbon brace and of Lyon brace involves a reduction in the QoL whatever instruments of evaluation, SRS-22 or VAS. The wearing of Lyon brace affects the QoL more than the wearing of carbone brace.