A large number of non-operative methods for the treatment of scoliosis have been documented in both ancient and modern literature. The more recognized effective non-surgical treatment is external bracing, while other methods can only be used as adjuncts, and their effectiveness when used independently is uncertain. (i) Indications for brace therapy Brace therapy is only effective in patients whose skeletal growth has not yet ceased. For patients with insufficient growth potential, such as Risser〉4 or those who have been menstruating for more than one year, bracing usually has no significant effect. Therefore, for immature patients, especially those with Risser〈2 and those who have not started menstruation, if the Cobb angle has reached 30 degrees at the time of initial diagnosis, brace treatment should be started immediately. For patients with 20 to 30 degrees, stenting should also be done if 5 degrees of progression is demonstrated. If the initial diagnosis is less than 20 degrees, follow-up only may be performed. On the contrary, for patients whose deformity is already very severe in appearance at the time of initial diagnosis and who are at high risk of progression, bracing is very ineffective and surgery should be considered. It is important to note that in patients with significant thoracic anterior convexity, bracing may control the progression of the lateral convexity, but may aggravate the anterior convexity of the thoracic spine, further worsening the reduction of the anterior-posterior diameter of the thoracic cavity. In addition, the assessment of the patient’s growth and development should be based on a comprehensive evaluation of bone age, Risser’s sign, vertebral annulus epiphysis, menstrual history, and secondary sexual characteristics, and sometimes there may be a temporal discrepancy between age, Risser’s sign, and menstrual history. (B) Types of brace 1. Milwaukee brace: It is mainly used for patients with thoracic scoliosis, especially those whose thorax has not yet developed well. The advantages of this brace are that it is a clinically proven more effective brace, and it interferes little with the development of the thorax and breast, and can effectively maintain the balance of the trunk. The disadvantage is that the appearance of the brace is difficult to accept because of the neck ring. 2.Boston brace: It is suitable for scoliosis whose parietal vertebra is below T10. The advantage of this brace is that it is worn under the arm and its appearance is easy to accept, and the disadvantage is that it is a full-contact brace (i.e., corrected by passively), thus it is uncomfortable and harder to tolerate. 3, other types: the above are the two most used braces at present, they are the most representative braces for the treatment of thoracic bend and lumbar bend, and there are some other reported effective “local” braces, such as Miami brace, Lyon brace, etc. (C) Brace wearing method At the beginning of wearing, 23 hours per day are needed, and one hour is used for physical therapy, breathing exercises, etc. However, Green’s results suggest that 16 hours per day are needed. However, Green’s results suggest that 16 hours per day can achieve similar results as 23 hours of wear, and Peltonen even thinks that 12 hours are sufficient. In China, there is a lack of information in this regard, so if the cooperation of the patient and the family cannot be obtained, the brace should be worn at least 16 hours a day, and if the Cobb angle can be reduced by 50% after wearing the brace, a better treatment effect can be expected. After one year of treatment, if the scoliosis can be reduced by 50%, the wearing time can be gradually reduced and, with the increase of Risser, the brace can be worn only at night. If the scoliosis starts to increase by more than 5 degrees, the wearing time should be increased again. Most patients wear the brace until Risser 4 or more, when the vertebral annulus epiphysis closes, and two years after menstruation. It is important to emphasize that the treatment plan for bracing varies from patient to patient and often needs to be adjusted at any time depending on the progression of scoliosis and developmental status. Some patients need to be braced until full skeletal maturity. In order to increase the patient’s tolerance of the brace and to allow the patient to start brace treatment in a more corrected state, in France it is common to start brace treatment with a de-rotated orthopedic cast in traction (EDF cast) for two months, followed by a change of the treatment cast for two months. (D) Evaluation of the efficacy of brace treatment There are few reports on brace treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in China, and most of the data come from foreign literature, with varying results. Miller compared 144 patients treated with Milwaukee or Boston braces with 111 untreated controls. 17% of patients in the treatment group progressed by more than 5 degrees, compared with 24% in the control group. or more, compared to 24% of the control group. In contrast, the failure rate (progression greater than 5 degrees) for Peltonen was 22%. It is important to emphasize that the indicator of the effectiveness of bracing is whether it stops and slows the progression of scoliosis, not necessarily whether the brace corrects the scoliosis. In addition, bracing is considered effective if it does not save the patient from surgery but delays the age of surgery due to the control effect of the brace. There may be others who use physiotherapy, bodywork, electrical stimulation, traction suspension, and back bracing alone to treat scoliosis, but there are no scientific reports to date that prove that these methods alone are effective; instead, there are a large number of cases of treatment failure. In some cases, scoliosis is detected early, but the patient, family, or physician misses the opportunity for early brace treatment because they believe these methods are effective and experiment with various methods, and by the time growth has stopped, they get a severe scoliosis with thoracic deformity.