A £2.5m research study is now open in the UK, looking at the effectiveness of a night-time brace in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Led by Sheffield Children’s Hospital, the Bracing Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (BASIS) study is currently accepting patients from 22 NHS Trusts across the UK.
The “full-time” brace is the current back brace offered within the NHS, and this is usually prescribed to be worn for 20 hours a day. Although in many patients, it stops the curve reaching a size where surgery would be considered, the brace needs to be worn until growth has finished which is usually several years. It is recognised that this is a very difficult treatment for many young people. The alternative offered as part of the BASIS study, is a new “night-time” brace, which is worn for around 9 hours whilst in bed at night. As this brace works whilst the patient is lying down, it can provide a stronger force to push the curve straighter.
The night-time brace may sound like a more attractive option for patients, but there is currently less evidence to support it’s effectiveness. And this is why the BASIS study is taking place!
At the moment, there are 190 patients* (correct as of 30th August 2023) taking part in BASIS, and roughly half are receiving full time brace treatment, with the other half receiving the night time brace. The study is aiming to involve 780 patients over the next 3 years, and all patients taking part will be followed up in the study until 2 years after they stop brace treatment.
If you’d like to know more about the study, you can visit the BASIS website for further information, and contact details for the coordinating team.
This study is funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme (NIHR131081). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.