Non-Operative Management Committee Update

Matthew Halsey, MD
Non-Operative Management Committee Chair

Over the past year, the Non-Operative Management Committee in coordination with the Presidential Line, the SRS Health Policy Committee, AAOS, POSNA and the AAP, developed and delivered a consensus statement to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) urging them to reconsider the current “D” recommendation for school screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. A change of emphasis was also encouraged, away from school screening and toward early detection of scoliosis. At this time, the USPSTF has decided to revisit this recommendation and will issue an updated recommendation in 2017.

In the coming year, the committee will continue its work on evaluating Scoliosis Specific Exercises (SSEs) and is in the process of developing a Half-Day Course for the 2016 Annual Meeting & Course exploring this topic more thoroughly. The emphasis will be on the current scientific basis and support for this modality, as well as how best to deliver and manage it in practice along with the appropriate use of bracing. The course will explore how SSEs may be considered for early-onset, adolescent and adult scoliosis patients.

Also this year, the committee will survey the membership on current non-operative management of scoliosis patients, including adult patients. The emphasis here will be on evaluating the use of bracing, in light of the publication of the BrAIST study findings, the use of brace monitoring and the prescription of SSEs. When the survey arrives, please take the time to fill it out!

Chair: Matthew Halsey, MD.  Committee: Vishwas R. Talwalkar, MD J. Channing Tassone, MD; Raphael D. Adobor, MD; Romain Dayer, MD; Eugenio Dema, MD; Olavo B. Letaif, MD; Richard Hostin, MD; Harwant Singh, MD, PhD; Lori Dolan, PhD; Michael J. Mendelow, MD; Howard M. Place, MD