In the course of my research for this story, I made several unannounced visits to the busy Sainte-Justine's spine clinic, randomly speaking with parents and patients, some in treatment, some in follow-up. Those I spoke with were grateful and had nothing but praise for the Quebec doctors. All were success stories. I also met 13-year-old Esme Tremblay from Ottawa, who might not be as lucky. Her worried parents, Michael and Ruth, told me that although their daughter's curves were discovered three years ago, when they measured under 20 degrees, nothing was done until they advanced enough for a cumbersome hard brace, a brace Esme, like most youngsters, found too uncomfortable to wear. With Esme's curves now measuring more than 50 degrees, Ruth, who recently discovered SpineCor on the Internet, said, "We're getting in the game really late, so I'm not sure the brace is going to work." Rivard has given Esme only a 15 per cent chance of success because of the large size of her curves. But the Tremblays want to try the brace anyway. "The Ottawa surgeon who recommended fusion for Esme downplayed the seriousness of the operation," an upset Ruth told me. "He gave me the impression that it was no big deal." Ruth begged me not to reveal the doctor's name, "because we might need to go back to him for the surgery." The Tremblays are looking for answers. "Why weren't we told about SpineCor by our doctors?" Ruth wants to know.

Although there is increasing evidence that the SpineCor brace works for some people, Canadian doctors outside of Quebec continue to ignore it. Are some Canadian children undergoing spinal fusion that could have been averted if the Quebec brace had been prescribed? Rivard says that 78 per cent of his SpineCor patients are either stabilized or improved after SpineCor treatment, with 22 per cent going on to need surgery. Without the brace, he believes that at least 40 per cent would need fusion.

Nine months after being fitted with SpineCor, Jay is still pain-free, and calls the brace "bloody brilliant." He refers to the inventors as "those geniuses from Quebec." I'm so grateful, and was so excited about Jay's pain relief, that I left phone messages for the Toronto and L.A. surgeons we had seen, offering to provide details about the brace so they could help other patients. Neither doctor ever called me back. I asked Rivard what would have happened to Jay if we hadn't discovered SpineCor. "He would have wanted surgery," Rivard said, shaking his head. "The pain from scoliosis can be that bad."

Online, a 19-year-old California teen asks, "Has anyone else had success with SpineCor?" Also fitted with the brace by Dr. Gorrie, he says, "This is the first time I've been able to sit comfortably for years." A 55-year-old woman who couldn't stand and who was in constant pain until she was fitted with SpineCor says she is now pain-free, her posture perfect. Who knows what the future holds since there's no cure for scoliosis, though the first gene associated with this ancient disorder was discovered just last year by U.S. researchers, so maybe one day there will be a cure.

Until then, controversy surrounding the treatment of scoliosis will continue to rage. But meanwhile, although not even on the radar in Canada, Rivard's and Collaird's work continues to gain respect worldwide, with some patients travelling to Montreal from as far away as San Francisco and overseas for treatment. Ruth Tremblay of Ottawa is resentful. "Why weren't we given the chance by our doctors?" she asks, adding wistfully, "And we were only a two-hour drive away."

[Source: Original work published in Macleans.CA]