Description and Reliability of Rigo Classification of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Associated with Brace Therapy

Objectives To develop the Rigo classification system for scoliosis brace design and treatment and to compare the reliability and reproducibility of the Rigo classification system for scoliosis within and across observers related to orthopedic treatment. Methods The imaging data of 136 cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were collected, and a Rigo classification system was established to determine the specific corrective principles and methods needed for the effective design and manufacturing of braces. Three observers, one spine surgeon, one imaging surgeon and one orthopedic brace surgeon, diagnosed and classified 136 AIS patients. The collected data were used to analyze the reliability across different observers and the repeatability within the same observer, and kappa values were calculated to confirm the consistency. Results The kappa value of the classification results of the spine surgeons and radiologists was 0.936, that of the spine surgeons and brace surgeons was 0.901, that of the imaging surgeons and brace surgeons was 0.886, the average repeatability was 90%, and the average Kappa was 0.887. Conclusion The Rigo classification system for scoliosis brace therapy has good practicability and consistency. The reliability of the Rigo classification system is acceptable both within and across observers. The system is suitable for clinical applications.