Impact of Gensingen brace treatment on Lenke 5 curvatures and chronic low back pain in late adolescent and adult scoliosis patients.
Budi S Widjaja, Regina Varani
PMID 35402746WHAT IT FOUND
In 26 late adolescents with lumbar scoliosis, wearing a Gensingen brace for six months reduced the spinal curve by 23% and eliminated reported low back pain in all symptomatic patients.
However, patients also received Schroth exercises, so the brace's specific contribution cannot be isolated.
Key findings
01At six months, the mean Cobb angle decreased from 41.5 degrees to 33.2 degrees, representing a 23% correction.
02All 19 patients who reported mild to moderate low back pain before treatment stated they had no pain at the six-month follow-up.
03Participants received both the brace and six sessions of Schroth Best Practice exercises, making it impossible to determine which intervention caused the improvements.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
There was no control group, so natural history or placebo effects cannot be ruled out. The sample size was very small (n=26). Exercise compliance was not measured, and brace wearing time was only self-reported without precise tracking. The assessors were not blinded to the treatment status. The study duration was short (six months), while brace treatment typically continues for two years.
Declared interests
Not reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the brace alone caused the pain relief or curve reduction. All patients also performed Schroth exercises, and the study lacked a control group, meaning these results are preliminary and cannot prove the brace's independent efficacy.