Study design: A consecutive series of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and brace-treated (BT) between 1968 and 1977 before age 21 years (BT: n = 127; 122 females and 5 males) were followed-up at least 20 years after completion of the treatment.
Objectives: To determine the long-term outcome in terms of back pain and function in patients BT for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
Summary of background data: Few reports on long-term outcome of back pain and function have previously been presented for consecutive groups of these patients.
Materials and methods: One hundred ten (87%) BT patients were reexamined as part of an unbiased personal follow-up. This included a clinical examination, evaluation of curve size (Cobb method), and degenerative findings in full standing frontal and lateral radiographs. Validated questionnaires in terms of general and disease-specific quality-of-life aspects as well as present back and pain symptoms were used. One hundred nine had complete follow-up. An age- and sex-matched control group of 100 persons was randomly selected and subjected to the same examinations.
Results: The deterioration of the curves was a mean of 7.9 degrees for all curves, excluding the only patient who underwent operation after 4 years (increase = 27 degrees). The patients had significantly more degenerative disc changes than the controls. Lumbar and thoracic back pain, although mild (2.7 on visual analogue scale), was significantly more frequent among the patients than the controls (75 vs. 47%, P = 0.0050 and 35.8 vs. 22.0%, P = 0.033, respectively). Only 24% of the patients admitted daily pain and analgesics were sparsely used. The patients had a slightly, but significantly, worse back function as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (9.2 vs. 4.8, P = 0.0012) and general function score (7.7 vs. 4.2, P = 0.0006), but general health-related quality of life was not affected. No differences could be seen in sociodemographic variables between the groups, except for having ever been on sick leave because of the back (38% vs. 19%, P = 0.0036). Furthermore, no differences could be found between patients with different curve types (single thoracic, n = 50; lumbar, n = 19; double curves, n = 40). No correlation could be found between pain and its localization and curve size, an increase of at least 10 degrees since end of treatment, curve type, degenerative changes on any of the two lowest lumbar disc levels, body mass index, or smoking.
Conclusions: More than 20 years after brace treatment for AIS, minimal pain and no dysfunction occurred compared with normal controls. Compared with surgically treated patients with a mean end result similar to this group, no significant differences were found except that BT patients experience more affective components of their pain.