Summary:
The pressure developed exactly on the top of the scoliotic hump and the area
around it, contributes to the corrective action of the Dynamic Derotration
Brace (DDB). The purpose of this study was the analysis of the bioengineering
action of DDB, measuring and evaluating the corrective pressures and the
applied forces which cause them, for nine (9) different body postures
simulating the everyday activities of the scoliotic patients. For this purpose
the MatScan software in combination with the very flexible and thin pressure
sensor Prosthetic 9801 of Tekscan were used. After positioning the sensor on
the area of interest, eighty one (81) patients were studied, boys and girls,
with thoracic right, thoraco-lumbar right or left and double (thoracic right
and lumbar left) scoliosis. The results showed that tightening the brace’s
straps at the maximum tension is necessary for all the above types of scoliosis
and this is proved by the statistical significant increase of the force and
pressure values which was caused by that. There was not a statistical
significant difference between the measured force and pressure of the nine (9)
body postures with the straps’ tense at the maximum, which means that the DDB
works in the same way the whole day. Also, without being statistical
significant the difference which was noticed for all the body postures, the
tightening of the straps to the maximum tension causes increase of the area’s
magnitude on which the pressure is distributed, with extreme stability.
Although there was not noticed statistical significant correlation between the
mean corrective pressure and the percentage of correction and the period of
time of brace’s usage, there was effect of it on the total correction. The
final and total correction is the result of many factors contribution, such as
the straps’ tension, the correct repositioning of the brace during the day, the
patient’s age, the type of curve, the Risser sign and the elasticity of the
single or double curve.
Keywords:
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, Dynamic Derotation Brace (DDB), Applied forces, Corrective pressures, Bioengineering analysis
