Health-related quality of life in untreated versus brace-treated patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a long-term follow-up.

Abstract

The previous Scoliosis Research Society brace study (JBJS-A, 1995) included patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with moderate curve sizes (25 degrees -35 degrees). The Swedish patients in this study were examined in a long-term follow-up. The aim was to analyze and compare quality of life in adulthood between AIS patients who were only observed or treated with a brace during adolescence. Quality of life as measured by the SRS-22 has not previously been presented for adult untreated AIS patients. Forty patients who were only observed (due to a curve increase of less than 6 degrees until maturity), and 37 brace-treated patients attended the complete follow-up, including clinical and radiologic examination, and answered 2 quality of life questionnaires (SRS-22 and Short Form-36 [SF-36]). No differences were found between the groups in terms of age at follow-up (mean: 32 years), follow-up time after maturity (mean: 16.0 years), and curve size at inclusion (mean: 30 degrees) or at follow-up (mean: 35 degrees). The SRS-22/total score was a mean of 4.2 for braced patients and 4.1 for only observed patients. Neither total scores/subscales of the SRS-22 or SF-36 differed significantly between the groups. For the SF-36, no differences in relation to the Swedish age-matched norm scales were found for either group. Patients with moderate AIS report good quality of life in their 30s, as measured by both the SRS-22 and SF-36, regardless of whether they received no active treatment or were brace treated during adolescence. Neither of the groups displayed any difference compared with the age-matched norm groups for the SF-36.