Is there a body of evidence for the treatment of patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS)?

One aim of the Scoliosis Society (SOSORT) should be; to help develop a body of research regarding the outcomes of conservative and operative treatment as well, and to highlight the problems of treatment indications in patients with AIS and other spinal deformities. Another aim is to help to improve the safety of patients who have surgery. By producing evidence-based information that can be used to develop guidelines that could aid both professionals and patients in making decisions about surgical and conservative options.Although 'Scoliosis' is the official journal of the SOSORT and is the main forum for experts in the field of conservative management of patients with spinal deformities, there needs to be more wide spread attempt to develop a fuller body of evidence focussing on spine surgery as well.Today evidence based medicine (EBM) and evidence based practice (EBP) are valuable instruments in the decision making process of professionals in the medical field. Restrictions upon resources of social health care systems have lead to calls for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness of treatment programmes. Therefore good quality evidence studies providing the highest of research are necessary to evaluate effectiveness of treatments.The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) [1] provides guidelines to spread the knowledge about EBM and its use. There is a special hierarchy of evidence based knowledge:1. Smallest evidence is provided by "expert opinion"2. Case reports/case series3. Un-controlled studies4. Controlled studies5. Randomized controlled studies (RCT) and6. Meta analyses from RCTThe quality and types of evidence help to segregate research into levels. They are graded (IV [lowest] – I [highest]) and from those levels recommendations for treatment are derived (Grade D [lowest] – Grade A [highest]).Grade B recommendations for conservative treatment of scoliosis are justified. There are prospective controlled studies (level II) [2-4] and enough data from leve