Postoperative Spinal Orthoses: Types and Outcomes.

Abstract

Postoperative bracing (POB) after spinal surgery is a common practice that has been used for many decades. In the past few years, the indications, types, and outcomes of POB have been heavily questioned after many studies revealed no consistent evidence to support or refute the use of spinal orthoses after surgery. Currently, there are no indications of the type, duration, or indication for many spinal orthoses and few studies have assessed their efficacy. Although much of the literature lacks adequate comparisons of brace types or specific indications, POB is still widely used for various surgical procedures. This study evaluated the current evidence concerning POB of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral spine.