Is this brace really a Boston? Opens in front

[leahdragonfly]

Hi,

My daughter has had two previous Boston Braces that look exactly like the online photos from the Boston Brace co. Today she just got a new brace that was prescribed as a Boston that was made by a different orthotist. It looks a little different than I was expecting: it opens in front instead of the back. It also has no side cut-out on the high side, and when I asked the orthotist about this he told me it was somewhat like the Rosenberger brace, which I had barely heard of.

So now that my daughter is sleeping in it, I went online and looked up the Rosenberger brace, only to find that it was discredited by scientific research some years ago as ineffective. The photo of the Rosenberger I found online looks like what my daughter is sleeping in. So now I'm getting a little panicky! The orthotist left for a week's vacation this afternoon, and we don't see the ortho for the in-brace x-ray until next Thursday.

Any ideas out there?? Is this really a Boston brace?

[leahdragonfly]

I forgot to mention, the brace has a somewhat molded shape outside, but there are no corrective pads inside. The orthotist told me he wants her to wear it for a few days like it is, saying it is giving some corection, then he will see if "she can tolerate more pressure" and consider adding corrective pads inside.

This is so outside of our former bracing experiences, it is really worrying me.

[Ballet Mom]

Hi Gayle,

Sorry to see that your daughter is going back in a brace. The Rosenberger brace is also considered experimental by Aetna, I see, and has been developed to try and help compliance with its lower profile and better appearance. I can't help you, but perhaps you could talk to your orthopedic surgeon and see what kind of results he has had with it. Or perhaps you could talk to your former orthotist who seemed to have made a quite successful Boston brace for your daughter and see what he thinks? The orthotists I have used have been quite friendly and open with their information and thinking on these braces.

Maybe it won't be an issue at all since you are scheduling VBS for your daughter. Good luck!

[leahdragonfly]

Thanks for your thoughts, Balletmom. I called the orthotist's office today to express my concerns and they kindly had him call me back within 15 minutes although he's on vacation now! That was impressive. He was patient and thoroughly explained everything, and showed no trace of irritation with my overactive mommy-worrying. So that was reassuring. He reassured me it is not a Rosenberger, but it's a Boston that opens in front. OK, I feel better now.

We have the in-brace x-ray and see the ortho in a week, so I am sure that will be helpful to put my mind at ease.

How do we parents worry so much?? I know it is not productive, but still...