Hours in brace, percent correction in brace, Risser, etc. etc.
Everything is confounding everything. Despite doing their best, it's still a train wreck.
The sole role and goal of these conservative treatments is avoidance of surgery for life. I asked a BrAIST coauthor how many "successes" were north of 35 with growth remaining or north of 40 with no growth remaining. I asked how many of the relatively few cases in the dose-response curve fell in those categories. While my other questions were answered, these questioned were conspicuously ignored.
It is highly likely that at least some of those "successes" went on to surgery. I am not saying they can't set thresholds for their study. Certainly they must or it wouldn't be publishable. But for these bracing studies to actually matter to patients, the results must include how many patients are north of 40* or north of 35* with growth remaining so patients can adjust their expectations and make a more informed decision about bracing.
While most parents would probably brace with as low as a 0.001% chance of success, I suspect many kids would have a more reasoned risk-benefit approach.
Last edited by Pooka1; 06-21-2020 at 08:52 AM.
Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis
No island of sanity.
Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
Answer: Medicine
"We are all African."