Bridget Yang
Valencia High School, Canada
Title: The impact of scoliosis brace type on satisfaction and performance as assessed by the SRS-24
Biography
Biography: Bridget Yang
Abstract
Scoliosis treatment often involves the wearing of a back brace. A variety of back braces are used to treat scoliosis, but there is no data that shows that one brace is superior in terms of efficacy. Although it is clear that one’s quality of life is negatively affected by the wearing of a scoliosis brace, little data is available on how different types of scoliosis braces affect one’s quality of life. An online survey was conducted to gather data on patients with scoliosis. Collected data included demographics, clinical information, treatments administered, compliance, and involvement in selecting the back brace used in treatment. In addition, the Scoliosis Research Society-24 (SRS-24) questionnaire was used to determine subject satisfaction and performance; the SRS-24 measures pain, self-image, function, level of activity, and satisfaction. Almost all respondents (96.9%) wore a brace as part of their treatment; 43.8% of patients had surgery; and 38.7% were prescribed exercises as part of their treatment. Satisfaction with wearing a scoliosis brace was low with 28.1% of respondents reporting they “hate” their brace, and 43.8% stating they “dislike” their brace. The total mean SRS-24 score was 3.6, and there was no correlation between type of back brace and SRS-24 scores. Data collection is ongoing: to date, 32 subjects have responded. Through my findings, it is apparent that scoliosis impacts the quality of life of adolescent females. However, there was no apparent correlation between the type of brace worn and attitudes towards wearing the brace on the SRS-24 score.