Providence brace
From Scoliosis Wiki
The Providence Brace was developed when it was observed that significant correction of scoliotic curves could be achieved using an acrylic frame to apply direct corrective forces to the patient. The frame (see below) was originally developed to demonstrate supine spinal flexibility for pre-operative radiographic planning. The frame works by the application of controlled, direct, lateral and rotational forces on the trunk to move the spine toward the midline or beyond the midline. It does not bend the spine as with the Charleston bending brace.
The brace is fabricated of polypropylene plastic from measurements or a plaster impression. The patient is placed on a polycarbonate measurement and casting board. The board has a grid of holes on its surface for placement of the bolsters to apply corrective forces and stabilization to the spine with reference the patient’s midline. They enable one to accurately apply forces to the lateral surfaces of the patient’s body. Information from a standing radiograph of the patient’s spine serves as a guide for the placement of the stabilizing and corrective bolsters used in the casting or measurement process.
Originally, the patient is removed from the board and wrapped in a standing plaster jacket, returned to the board and the bolsters are returned to the determined settings. The dried plaster jacket is then removed and used as a female mold to make a male plug on which the brace is custom made. At the outset, all of our braces were fitted in this manner. Over the past six years, cast molds were scanned into a CAD/CAM computer enabling the brace fabrication to be done with measurements alone in 95% of cases.
More info can be found here The Providence Scoliosis System
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