Finite element analysis in brace treatment on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized as three-dimensional (3D) deformity, and bracing is a common conservative treatment for AIS. Finite element analysis (FEA) is a technique for numerically solving the differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling and has been widely used in biomechanical studies. Recently, FEA has been under intensive focus to improve the clinical outcomes of brace treatment. This review focuses on using FEA to assist brace treatment for AIS and technique choices that may be encountered during the construction of the finite element model (FEM). The construction of geometric models, the mechanical property, element type, the boundary condition, and the observation items of FEA have been summarized while establishing FEM. In each technical aspect, different fields and limitations of FEA are discussed. The observation items based on FEA are collected in addition to the biomechanical value in clinical research. We also summarized the technical aspects of brace treatment by FEA and observation items and provided guidance and directions to improve the brace treatment.