Efficacy of Thoracolumbar Bracing in Spinal Immobilization: Precise Assessment of Gross, Intersegmental, and Segmental Spinal Motion Restriction by a 3D Kinematic System.

Background: Various diseases of the spine are treated by immobilization via orthoses, although detailed evidence on the efficiency of orthotic bracing remains elusive. The present study sought to investigate the impact of 3 different orthoses on spinal immobilization using 3-dimensional (3D) kinematic measurements.

Methods: Twelve healthy volunteers performed different motion tasks, including trunk flexion/extension and bilateral trunk bending.