The Milwaukee Brace

I love the movie, Sixteen Candles. It’s a terrific “coming of age” story. The exception, for me, was Joan Cusack (a.k.a. Geek Girl #1) trying to get a drink at the water fountain while wearing a Milwaukee Brace.

The first time I saw it, I was startled by the fact that scoliosis – or at least a treatment for it – had “made it” into pop culture. But, the stereotypical overtones bothered me. They still do.

But I digress!

My spondylolisthesis had been so severe that my scoliosis was barely a blip on the orthopedic radar screen. Dr. Keim said if my curve didn’t worsen after my first body cast was removed, I’d be in the clear. My spine, however, had alternate plans and, seven months later, I was off to meet my brace man, Mr. Zamosky, who would custom-fit me for a Milwaukee Brace – an exceedingly awkward contraption created in 1946 by Walter P. Blount and Albert Schmidt as an effective alternative to surgery in treating scoliosis.

It was the “alternative to surgery” part that motivated me and my parents to give it try.

These days, doctors are more likely to prescribe a Boston Brace or Charleston Brace for scoliosis, depending on the nature of the curve. Both braces are lighter, less visible and more comfortable for the patient. You can see photos and read about all three at this link: http://www.iscoliosis.com/articles-brace_types.html.

Back in 1976, though, the Milwaukee Brace was the headliner in scoliosis treatment, particularly for “S” curves like mine -- which looked similar to the X-ray at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoliosis.

So, into the Milwaukee Brace I went, for 23 hours every day. It was a gamble, whether the brace would cure my scoliosis. No one – not even Dr. Keim – could know for sure if it would pay off.

Then, 2 ½ years later, I had my answer, and my second surgery was scheduled.