Bracing vs Casting in the Treatment of Idiopathic Early-Onset Scoliosis

Idiopathic early onset scoliosis (IEOS) is a rare spinal deformity affecting approximately 40 of 100,000 children. Serial casting has been the most favored treatment, but casts are usually applied with the child under general anesthesia or sedation in the operating room. Although casting is effective at resolving curvature or delaying surgical intervention, it involves risks from anesthesia. Bracing does not require anesthesia, but there are few studies reporting the outcomes and effectiveness of bracing. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to establish the relative short-term effectiveness of casting and bracing in the treatment of IEOS.