Efficacy, safety, and economics of bracing after spine surgery: a systematic review of the literature.

Background Context: Bracing is often used after spinal surgery to immobilize the spine, improve fusion, and relieve pain. However, controversy exists regarding the efficacy, necessity, and safety of various bracing techniques in the postsurgical setting.

Purpose: In this systematic review, we aimed to compare the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of postoperative bracing versus no postoperative bracing after spinal surgery in patients with several common operative spinal pathologies.

Study Design/setting: A systematic review was carried out to compare postoperative bracing and no postoperative bracing.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library from 1970 to May 2017, supplemented by manual searching of the reference list of relevant studies and previously published reviews. Studies were included if they compared disability, quality of life, functional impairment, radiographic outcomes, cost-effectiveness, or complications between patients treated with postoperative bracing and patients not receiving any postoperative bracing. Each article was critically appraised independently by two reviewers, and the overall body of evidence was rated using guidelines outlined by the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group.

Results: Of the 858 retrieved citations, 5 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review, consisting of 4 randomized controlled trials and 1 prospective cohort study. Low to moderate evidence suggests that there are no significant differences in most measures of disability, pain, quality of life, functional impairment, radiographic outcomes, and safety between groups. Isolated studies reported statistically significant and inconsistent differences between groups with respect to Neck Disability Index at 6 weeks postoperatively or Short Form-36 Physical Component Score at 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

Conclusions: Based on limited evidence, postoperative bracing does not result in improved outcomes after spinal surgery. Future high-quality randomized trials will be required to confirm these findings.