Summary of findings 2. Bracing compared with observation (cohort studies) for idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents.
| Brace compared with observation (cohort studies) for idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents | ||||||
| Patient or population: adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis Settings: Intervention: brace Comparison: observation (cohort studies) | ||||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | |||||
| Observation (cohort studies) | Brace | |||||
| Quality of life PedsQL score1 Follow‐up: 2 years | The mean quality of life in the control groups was 83.3 ± 13.3 (0‐100)2 | The mean quality of life in the intervention groups was 0.1 higher (3.9 lower to 4.1 higher) | ‐ | 236 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low3 | Higher scores indicating a better quality of life |
| Risk of success curves remaining below 50° Follow‐up: 2 years | 479 per 1000 | 719 per 1000 (570 to 906) | RR 1.5 (1.19 to 1.89) | 242 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low4 | Highly clinically relevant |
| Any adverse event number of participants with at least 1 adverse event Follow‐up: 2 years | 427 per 1000 | 542 per 1000 (410 to 713) | RR 1.27 (0.96 to 1.67) | 242 (1 study) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low4 | ‐ |
| Pulmonary disorders, disability, back pain, psychological issues, and cosmetic issues subjective or objective | See comment | See comment | Not estimable | 0 (0) | See comment | None of the included studies assessed these outcomes |
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; PedsQL: Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory; RR: risk ratio. | ||||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate. | ||||||
1 PedsQL, a generic quality‐of‐life instrument used in studies of acute and chronic illness (Varni 2001; Varni 2003). 2 Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a better quality of life. 3 Only one observational study with 236 participants.4 Only one observational study with 242 participants.