{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nSpinal curvature in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is associated with a reduction in standing height. While height loss due to scoliosis and height gain following surgical correction are well described, little is known about immediate height change during scoliosis brace fitting and its relationship to in-brace skeletal correction. In-brace Cobb angle correction remains a primary indicator of brace effectiveness; however, no radiation-free clinical tool exists to support early assessment during fitting.Objective\n\nTo investigate whether immediate standing height change during scoliosis brace fitting is associated with in-brace Cobb angle correction.Methodology\n\nA retrospective audit was conducted on 60 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (13 males, 47 females; mean age 12.4 ± 1.7 years; mean standing height 156.6 ± 10.7 cm) treated at The London Orthotic Consultancy in Kingston, UK. Clinical data were collected between January and October 2022. Standing height was measured immediately before and after brace fitting, and Cobb angles were assessed at baseline and in-brace. Correlation and simple linear regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between height change and in-brace correction.Results\n\nThe mean baseline Cobb angle was 38.0 ± 10.7°, correcting to a mean in-brace Cobb angle of 10.3 ± 9.4°, corresponding to a mean absolute Cobb angle correction of 27.8 ± 9.9° and mean percentage correction of 74.3 ± 19.2%. Mean height gain at fitting was 1.24 ± 0.74 cm (range -0.2 to 3.5 cm). Descriptive analyses included the full cohort (n = 60), including participants demonstrating radiographic over-correction (n = 6). Following exclusion of cases demonstrating radiographic over-correction (>100%), a moderate positive association was observed (R = 0.45, p = 0.001). Sex-specific subgroup analysis was not performed due to limited statistical power.Conclusion\n\nImmediate height gain during scoliosis brace fitting demonstrates a moderate association with in-brace skeletal correction and may serve as a simple, radiation-free clinical indicator of mechanical brace response. Height measurement should be interpreted as an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, radiographic assessment. Prospective studies using multivariable predictive models are warranted to further evaluate its clinical utility.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "The London Orthotic Consultancy, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom.",
    "Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.",
    "School of Health Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom.",
    "School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy (SAHP&P), Keele University, Keele, United Kingdom."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A Courtney",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-0726-1186"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "S Walmsley"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "T Bishop"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "J Bernard"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "L Darren"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "R K Jones"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "S Forghany"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dqgjyzw4w7ycx.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.33137/cpoj.v9i2.46645",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13695457",
  "id": "dqgjyzw4w7ycx",
  "issns": [
    "2561-987X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927107",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2746|Scoliosis diagnosis and treatment"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7203574535",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13695457?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13695457",
  "pmid": "42927107",
  "published": "2026-08-16",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dqgjyzw4w7ycx.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:18Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42927107",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927107"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2746|Scoliosis diagnosis and treatment",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Immediate height gain during scoliosis brace fitting as a predictor of in-brace skeletal correction: A non-radiographic clinical indicator.",
  "title_text": "Immediate height gain during scoliosis brace fitting as a predictor of in-brace skeletal correction: A non-radiographic clinical indicator.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dqgjyzw4w7ycx",
  "venue": "Canadian prosthetics & orthotics journal",
  "versions": []
}