Wow you found some extremely interesting abstracts, AMom.
One of them includes some material that I think should be considered in any future bracing design studies...
Overt inclusion of thinks like this and Scoliscore and the like in the experimental protocol will help to clear the muddy waters of bracing study results. As things stand now, they appear to be hopelessly confounded by known unknowns and unknown unknowns. The bracing literature still has not really achieved liftoff in any meaningful way due to all these confounders. AIS looks variable but in fact if all the key indicators were identified, it might be totally predictable or at least much more so than at present.
One of them includes some material that I think should be considered in any future bracing design studies...
All 13 patients with a curve magnitude>30 degrees at the time of peak height velocity had progression of their scoliosis to>45 degrees despite bracing. Four of 29 patients (14%) with curves<or = 30 degrees at peak height velocity progressed to 45 degrees.
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