@article{3051448,
    title = "The immediate effect of a Boston brace on lung volumes and pulmonary
compliance in mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis",
    author = "Katsaris, G and Loukos, A and Valavanis, J and Vassiliou, M and and Behrakis, PK",
    journal = "European Spine Journal",
    year = "1999",
    volume = "8",
    number = "1",
    pages = "2-7",
    publisher = "Springer-Verlag",
    issn = "0940-6719, 1432-0932",
    doi = "10.1007/s005860050119",
    keywords = "idiopathic scoliosis; Boston brace; pulmonary function tests; pulmonary
compliance",
    abstract = "Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is known to result in lung volume and
pulmonary compliance reduction. Boston brace treatment of IS is an
additional factor causing restrictive respiratory syndrome due to
external chest wall compression. Nevertheless, the immediate effect of
Boston bracing on the pulmonary compliance of scoliotic patients has not
been studied systematically. Spirometric and plethysmographic lung
volumes, static lung compliance (C-ST(L)) and specific lung compliance
(C-ST(L)/functional residual capacity) of 15 scoliotic adolescents (14
females and 1 male, of mean age 14. 1 +/- 1.67 years, with mean Cobb
angle 24.1 degrees +/- 7.88 degrees) were recorded twice, in a random
sequence: once without the Boston brace (nBB) and once immediately after
wearing the brace (BB). Our findings showed that bracing reduced vital
capacity, residual volume, functional residual capacity (FRC), total
lung capacity, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s in a proportional and
significant way (P < 0.001). C-ST(L) was also significantly reduced (P <
0.001), but C-ST(L)/FRC remained unaltered. All BE and nBB indices were
highly correlated. We concluded that Boston bracing in IS patients
results in an immediate, predictable, and uniform reduction of lung
volumes and pulmonary compliance. The reduction of C-ST(L), under
bracing conditions was I elated to the decrease of lung volume; the
C-ST(L)/FRC remained unaltered."
}