青春期原發性脊柱側彎(AIS)是一種好發在孩童脊柱的畸形病變。病理上，在身體發育期間當椎骨兩側的生長速度不相等時會造成椎骨兩側厚度的不同而造成脊柱畸形。脊柱兩側的肌肉在長度-張力的關係上也會因彎曲而導致不平衡的現象，結果將增加側彎的嚴重性及惡化的速度。脊柱側彎的患者除有不良姿勢外，還會因引發心肺功能的嚴重傷害及肌肉神經系統的疼痛而造成日常生活機能的障礙。根據文獻報告僅有背架治療與外科手術才能有持續性且有效的控制側彎的惡化和矯正的效果。Airbag brace是改良自Boston Brace一種新式的矯正型背架，其提供的矯正力量除來自背架後面的張力性束帶外，更可由內襯在背架底層的氣囊以充氣的方式來增加推動脊柱所需的壓力。本研究以20位6至16歲穿戴自己的Airbag brace的AIS患者並來討論本裝具在臨床上矯正的效果與在不同活動時背架對肌肉的作用。經統計顯示不僅在矯正及減少側彎角度上有顯著作用外，與一般背架的最大不同處在於脊柱側彎的曲線與角度的減少是在移除背架後經X-ray顯現才來的結果，不同於其他背架是在穿著下所顯示的矯正效果。
本研究在探討Airbag brace 在矯正上的兩種因素，外在因素:皮膚-裝具界面的矯正力；內在因素: 豎脊肌(Erector Spinae)的活性，透過這兩種因素來了解背架在不同動作或姿勢時對身體的作用壓力、接觸面積及對背部肌肉活性的影響。藉此可提供改良背架的組件與力學原理，也能給予側彎患者進行治療性運動時另一種方法以增加矯正的效果。在研究的結果顯示，以可加壓變形的airbag取代固定形態的pressure pad是可行的，不管在接觸壓力、接觸面積和力量上(8.91±4.19 kPa, 379.14±73.96 cm2, and 351.43±187.8 N)和之前的文獻相似，並且在不同的動作/姿勢下這三種參數都能保持在一定的範圍內。另外，在患者固定回診的檢查下顯示Airbag brace在減少側彎角度上有顯著的效果(p <0.05，矯正前(33.14±9.36)、矯正後(21.82 ± 10.32))。另外，比較在相同動作下背架對肌肉影響的結果，其差異經肌電訊號顯示背架確實對肌肉的活性有顯著影響，特別是在trunk upright、flexion、extension以及 rotate to concave side等動作(5.11±2.2, 20.33±3.2, 9.08±3.8及8.24±2.3)。然而，在沒有穿戴背架時各動作間的肌肉活性並無任何差異，但在有背架使用時不同動作間的肌肉活性即顯現出差異性，特別是trunk flexion及extension等動作會較左、右兩側彎有更大的活性表現。在進行脊柱兩側肌肉活性的比較時發現，無背架的作用下僅在轉向凸側的動作中其兩側的肌力有顯著差異(4.21±0.9，t=3.46)。然而在背架作用下彎向凸側(1.83±0.2, t=2.46)與轉向凸側(2.49±0.6，t=2.71)等動作的兩側的肌力有顯著的差異。
由於正常脊柱和側彎的脊柱在動作型態上會有所不同，例如正常脊柱的椎體在身體進行側彎與軸向旋轉時的轉動方向和身體相同，但在脊柱側彎的椎體則是相反。另外，控制脊柱動作的肌肉群不僅複雜且精細加上脊柱側彎有數種不同的型態，因此不同患者在執行同一動作時可能會有不同的動作策略，也就更增加了研究上的複雜與困難。當本研究以Airbag brace 來矯正與減少側彎角度時，不僅可在不同姿勢下維持一致性的矯正壓力與接觸面積外也可增加背部肌肉的活性。就研究結果與臨床理論比較，相同之處在於不建議患者往側彎的凹側彎曲即使是穿著背架，而不同處在於建議可穿著背架時進行矯正動作的訓練，特別是身體的upright、flexion、extension和彎向與轉向凸側動作。

Adolescence idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a spinal column deformity that often occurs in children during adolescence. Pathologically, when the growth speed on both sides of the vertebral is unequal, the thickness of the vertebral body is different and leads to scoliosis. Consequently, the length-tension relationship of the muscles on the sides of the spine is imbalanced progressively. Patients with scoliosis have poor posture and may even have poor cardiopulmonary function when this condition becomes severe. Pain accompanied by neuromuscular dysfunction may cause Activities of daily living (ADLs) disability. According to research, only bracing treatments and surgical operations can effectively control the deterioration and correction of scoliosis.
The correction principal of a traditional brace is based on a three-point compression system. The brace gives opposite force to the apex of the curve and fixation to both ends at the same time. As a result, a traditional brace is used to treat curves with Cobb angles between 20 degrees and 45 degrees. According to clinical statistics, among traditional braces, the Boston Brace has the best correction effect. However, it can only maintain and avoid deterioration of the spine. Hence, a lot of medical experts believe that the brace can only maintain and does not treat or correct. Because reduction of the Cobb angle is often only shown on the X-ray of the patient with a brace, and once the brace is removed, the Cobb angel returns to the initial condition.
The airbag brace is modified from the Boston Brace. Its corrective force comes from not only the tension stripe behind the brace, but also from an airbag filled with air within the brace to increase the pressure pushing on the spine. This study targets 20 AIS subjects (aged 6-16) and supplies them with their own airbag braces in order to do research on the corrective effects. The data analysis of the results indicates effective correction. Compared with the Boston Brace, the most significant difference is that a reduction in the Cobb angel is obtained after the brace is removed.
This research is intended to discuss two factors related to the airbag brace: 1) the external factor, consisting of the corrective force of the skin-orthotic interface, and 2) the internal factor, consisting of the back muscle (erector spinae) activity in order to understand how the interface pressure, contact area, and muscle activity are influenced by an airbag brace and exercise. The use of this brace not only improves the components of any brace but also introduces a new therapy to exercise therapy to increase the correction effect. The results show that it is workable to replace a fixed shape brace with an air bag that is deformable with pressure. The contact pressure, contact area and force (8.91±4.19 kPa, 379.14±73.96 cm2, and 351.43±187.8 N) are similar to those of an earlier research paper, and the three parameters stay within a certain range. Moreover, a long track indicates that the airbag brace has a significant effect on reducing the Cobb angel (p <0.05 between the results before (33.14±9.36) and after (21.82 ± 10.32) the correction), especially the final angel, as shown in the X-ray taken after the brace is removed. It’s quite different from the traditional effect, which only occurs when the brace is worn.
In terms of the influence that the brace and movements/gestures have on muscle activities, the results indicate that the brace does have a significant influence on muscle activity. Trunk uprightness, flexion, extension, and rotation to concave side movements exhibit obvious differences (5.11±2.2, 20.33±3.2, 9.08±3.8 and 8.24±2.3). Furthermore, without the brace, there are not any differences among all the movements, but the use of brace results in significant differences, especially in the case of trunk flexion and extension. Under the use of the brace, bending to the right and left sides incorporates more muscle activity. When comparing the muscle activity on both sides of the spine, it is shown that, without the brace, the muscle activity on both sides is obviously different only in regard to bending to the convex side (4.21±0.9, t=3.46). However, with the brace, the muscle activity is significantly different in the movements of bending to convex side (1.83±0.2, t=2.46) and rotating to convex side (2.49±0.6, t=2.71).
The airbag brace, which replaces the pressure pad with a deformable airbag, has better effect on reducing the Cobb angle than the traditional brace. It maintains consistent correction pressure and contact area during different gestures and increases back muscle activity. The muscles involved in spinal movements are quite complicated and delicate, and in normal movement patterns, the rotating directions of the spine and the body are the same. However, the AIS spine shows the opposite direction during a static gesture. Also, because different patients have different movement strategies when conducting the same movement, the complexity and difficulty of the research is increased. Comparing the research result with that of clinical results, the same issue is that bending to the concave side is not suggested even with the brace. The difference between the two treatment modes is that exercise therapy training can be conducted with the brace. Upright position, flexion, extension, bending and rating to the convex side are especially recommended.

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