Abstract
Idiopathic scoliosis was treated by an automated portable posture-training device that incorporated precise behavioral principles and enabled therapeutic training to be given in the patients' normal environment throughout the entire day. Twenty-one patient-years of training were completed with a group of 12 adolescent girls selected as being imminently likely to require a brace because of the way their spinal curves had been progressing. As an alternative to conventional brace therapy, patients found the posture-training device considerably less physically restraining and more cosmetically acceptable. Most patients wore it 23 hr per day for at least 1 year and adapted well to the constant physical and psychological presence of the instrument. For 10 patients, the outcome was entirely successful; they were discharged from this pilot study as satisfactorily corrected. Progression of the scoliotic curve was arrested; in fact, there was an average slight improvement in the Cobb angle (a measure of spinal curvature) as measured by x-ray radiography.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Azrin N., Rubin H., O'brien F., Ayllon T., Roll D. Behavioral engineering: postural control by a portable operant apparatus. J Appl Behav Anal. 1968 Summer;1(2):99–108. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1968.1-99. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Edmonsson A. S., Morris J. T. Follow-up study of Milwaukee brace treatment in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1977 Jul-Aug;(126):58–61. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kane W. J. Scoliosis prevalence: a call for a statement of terms. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1977 Jul-Aug;(126):43–46. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Keiser R. P., Shufflebarger H. L. The Milwaukee brace in idiopathic scoliosis: evaluation of 123 completed cases. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1976 Jul-Aug;(118):19–24. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PONSETI I. V., FRIEDMAN B. Prognosis in idiopathic scoliosis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1950 Apr;32A(2):381–395. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rogala E. J., Drummond D. S., Gurr J. Scoliosis: incidence and natural history. A prospective epidemiological study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1978 Mar;60(2):173–176. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Salanova C. Les résultats lointains du corset de Milwaukee. Les indications. Acta Orthop Belg. 1977 Sep-Oct;43(5):606–615. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wickers F. C., Bunch W. H., Barnett P. M. Psychological factors in failure to wear the Milwaukee brace for treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1977 Jul-Aug;(126):62–66. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]