How do scoliotic spines with low stiffness and viscoelastic properties react to the application of spinal orthoses

Objective In the management of moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), spinal orthosis is generally applied. Nonetheless, the time to reach its maximal corrective effect after donning or the time to return to the original scoliotic curvature after doffing may not be well understood because the spine has low stiffness and viscoelastic properties and continuous radiographic assessments are invasive to patients. This study aims to investigate the time dependent response of scoliotic curvature to spinal orthosis by using three-dimensional non-invasive clinical ultrasound (3-D CUS).