All in-brace radiographs taken of patients in their night-time orthosis should be taken while the patient is supine.
During the infancy period of development, Mr. Hooper and Dr. Charles T. Price conducted a comparative analysis of the brace in standing and supine positions. The findings demonstrated the hypothesis that x-rays taken of patients in a standing position are of no value when assessing the efficacy of a night-time brace when treating scoliosis.
The biomechanical forces applied by the brace manipulate the pelvis in a manner which is negated when the patient is standing.
The design of the brace is meant to shift the spine into an asymmetrical position. When the patient stands, he/she will unconsciously try to force the spine into an elongated or upright position in order to balance themselves. This compromises the biomechanical principles on which the bending brace was designed. It is meant to be worn while the patient is lying down. Since the patient never wears the brace while standing, in-brace x-rays cannot be properly evaluated when the patient is upright.
