This week, I want to show you, step-by-step, how a brace is made, using our recent experience at the National Scoliosis Center (NSC). Not all braces are made this way, but, in my opinion, the best ones are! 🙂 And, it makes the experience much more fun for the children when they can take part in making their own brace!
First, detailed measurements are taken of the patient, including a full digital scan of the torso.




Next, the patient picks out a pattern from many exciting choices…

Then, the plastic is inserted into the oven and the tissue with the pattern is adhered…




Then, Luke and his associate, Michael, use a foam replica of the patient’s body (which was carved on a digital machine, using the digital scan they obtained earlier), and they lay the hot plastic on it. They work quickly to trim away the areas they will not need.




Then, there’s this…

Back to business now…Once the plastic cools, Luke tries it on the patient and makes marks where he intends to trim…


Then, he uses a special trimming machine to cut the plastic off at his markings…

Next come the rivets for the straps…



Then, Luke spends a lot of time smoothing the edges (not pictured)
And, more fittings and more fine-tuning…


Finally, they get an in-brace X-ray in the very high-tech and rare EOS machine, which gives wonderful, 3-D images with extremely low radiation levels. Very few facilities in the USA have an EOS machine, but National Scoliosis Center makes a point to have the healthiest and best technology for the patient…


In our case, even though we got great correction in-brace, Luke wanted to further hone under the right shoulder to help relax the right shoulder and bring it down to a more symmetrical level.
After the brace was finished, we went home to spend the night in it and then returned to the National Scoliosis Center in the morning to make sure that it was fitting just right! Luke and his team can get your patient into a custom-fit brace in just under 2 days!! Wow!
Although we stay with family when we visit the NSC, they do have excellent group rates at a nearby hotel AND are just blocks from a Metro station. My son got measured for his brace first thing in the morning, then he and I hopped a train into DC, spent a few hours wandering around the city, then headed back and helped Luke create the brace – all in one day! You can combine a trip to the NSC with some wonderful opportunities to explore our Nation’s Capital.
I tell parents over and over – you will not be disappointed with your results from NSC. I will be sure to keep you all updated on my son’s results as we progress into the 6 month mark.