**2. Methodology and results**

### **2.1 Evolution of management**

Adult scoliosis bracing is performed only in technically equipped medical clinics. Hospitalization is not essential because the use of the brace must be integrated into the patient's environment. On the other hand, physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE) is mandatory.

The brace wearing time protocol is a total time of 24 hours a day during 3 weeks with a plaster cast (or digital cast) to adjust the length of the ligaments with plastic *Bracing Adult Scoliosis: From Immobilization to Correction of Adult Scoliosis DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90196*


**Table 2.**

*Adult bracing management (Lyon ARTbrace).*

deformation and, then, at least 4 hours per day for a minimum of 6 months, including systematically for 2 hours after the practice of sports activity (**Table 2**).

Wearing the brace for a "total time" allows the patient to relearn all the gestures of daily living in a good posture, for example, the sitting writing posture with feet behind the chair and buttocks in front of the seat. The lower part of the chest touches the anterior edge of the table, and the forearms rest on the desktop.

The digital cast is made in three blocks according to the deviations as in the teenager, but in deep inspiration. In many cases, only a scan in maximum corrective posture perfectly balanced is performed. The corrective posture is derived from Schroth. The sagittal plane and the frontal plane are simultaneously corrected, ensuring the overall balance of the spine. The spine is placed in maximum extension to promote lumbar lordosis and reduce thoracic hyperkyphosis. The convex hand is placed on the vertical support, the concave hand is placed on the head, and the operator supports the patient's elbow (**Figure 4**).

The thickness of Europlex'O used in adults is 3 mm. The digital cast is made in blocks according to the deviations as in the teenager, but in deep inspiration. The advantages are manifold: (1) The patient can maintain the maximum corrected position for a few seconds while standing; (2) breathing is controlled, and the patient can be asked to perform maximum inspiration; and (3) the accuracy of the eight structure sensors is less than 1 mm. The 3 mm Europlex'O with very high rigidity can be used instead of polyethylene. It is possible to work bare skin, but the thin optical vest in jersey allows the use of landmarks for the superposition of the

three blocks. The processing with a specific software allows the creation of a positive which will be milled by a digital milling machine. The CPO has all the tools to rework on the captured shapes. After a period of 3 weeks of "total time," the brace is worn for a minimum of 4 hours/24 for 6 months, then on demand.
