Spine-Straight device for the treatment of kyphosis

Kyphosis is an excessive rounding of the upper spine. Its treatment depends upon the severity, the age of the patient and the levels of the spine that are affected. Early diagnosis is a key to providing optimal treatment. In a skeletally immature patient, an exercise program or bracing is the most commonly used treatment. However, the compliance of bracing for adolescents is poor and exercise training is labor intensive. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a Spine-Straight device can help patients to correct their kyphosis themselves and there by reduce back pain without the biomechanical support of a brace. The Spine-Straight device consists of an accelerometer and a microcomputer unit. The accelerometer is used to measure the kyphotic angle and the microcomputer unit controls a pager vibrator to alert patients when their posture exceeds personalized thresholds. The system was tested in the laboratory before used by subjects. The results were compared to back data obtained from a laser scanner imaging system. The maximum angle deviation between the laser scanner and the Spine-Straight device was 1.5 degrees. Two volunteers tested the systems for 2 days. The accelerometer was placed at the T3 location and the microcomputer unit was carried during daily activities. The angle measurement was recorded at 1 minute intervals during daily activity over a period of 2 days. The preliminary trials demonstrate subjects can improve their posture when feedback signals were provided.