The main issue that may be encountered during brace treatment of idiopathic scoliosis is the patient's compliance. While compliance with full-time brace treatment has been well documented, compliance with night-time brace treatment has not. The main feature of night-time braces is their ability to overcorrect the scoliotic curvature, which could decrease compliance. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate objectively the compliance of patients with idiopathic scoliosis when undergoing treatment by means of a night-time overcorrection brace. Twenty patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were prescribed treatment with an overcorrection brace for 8 h per night. Compliance was determined by the percentage of actual hours the brace was worn relative to the prescribed regimen. Compliance was measured during 1 year via a hidden temperature monitor embedded within the brace. Patients were informed that their compliance was monitored. The brace acceptance period and the full acceptance period were analysed, and correlations were measured. The average compliance (% wearing hours/prescribed regimen) was 90.7%; 45% of the participants met or exceeded the prescribed brace time. Three girls were lost to follow-up. The mean acceptance period was 22,8 days, and half of the patients succeeded in achieving the acceptance period in less than 7 days. The mean full acceptance period was 26,9 days. The acceptance period was significantly and negatively correlated with the mean wearing time (r = -0,61, P = 0,004). There was no correlation between the in-brace overcorrection and the wearing time. These results suggest that patients with an overcorrection night-time brace had good compliance. The overcorrection did not seem to influence compliance. The first weeks of treatment seemed to be crucial for treatment compliance.
Keywords: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; Compliance monitors; Night-time brace; Temperature.
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