Objective: The Gensingen brace is a new asymmetrical CAD/CAM Cheneau type brace, with very promising published results. In-brace correction and brace compliance are the strongest predictors of treatment success. The purpose of the study is to present the first in-brace results with Gensingen brace in Greece.
Material and Methods: Case series. In-brace x-rays for the first 6 patients (5 females-1 male, mean age 13.5, Risser 1.83, Cobb Th 51.8ο–Lu 44.2ο, 5 double major-1 Thoracolumbar scoliosis) used Gensingen brace were measured by a Schroth certified physiotherapist and compared with the results already published. Compliance was self-reported.
Results: Average in-brace correction for the whole sample was 31.8% for thoracic and 40% for lumbar curves, while compliance exceeded 90%. However, 3 of the patients were out of the range of brace indications (Cobb 25ο–45ο,SRS guidelines) having severe scoliosis. A further analysis for the 3 cases with a typical bracing indication (mean Cobb Th 39ο – Lu 32ο) revealed a significantly better correction, 49.9% for thoracic and 58.8% for lumbar curves. These results are comparable with the published by Weiss, who reported a 66% in-brace correction in a sample of 21 patients (mean age 12.2, Risser 0.38, Cobb 31.3ο).
Conclusions: The preliminary results showed that the Gensingen brace can effectively be used in the treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, even in severe cases. The excellent in-brace corrections, the patient’s comfort and the compatibility with the Schroth method of physiotherapy, which educates the patient’s three-dimensional auto-correction into daily life activities, promise beneficial end result.