Spinal Technology
Improving Patient's Quality of Life with Effective Braces

A recent estimate showed that of the current U.S. population of 327 million, there are 17,700 annual incidents of spinal cord injury (SCI), as well as an estimated 3% to 5% incidence rate of idiopathic scoliosis among adolescents. Moreover, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), 100 million people are currently in need of prosthetic/orthotic services while global estimates suggest that only 1 in 10 of those in need, currently have access. Founded in 1991 by Jim Tierney, Spinal Technologyis a leading name in the orthopaedic space, renowned for its central fabrication for custom Spinal Orthoses for patients that require spinal stabilization, immobilization, and correction. The company prides itself on being the first central fabrication facility to use CAD/CAM for fabricating spinal orthoses and a leader in custom scoliosis and spinal orthotics fabrication. Not just this, the company also provides custom spinal orthotic fabrication for patients suffering spinal trauma, as well as those struggling with adolescent idiopathic orpediatric scoliosis, the most common spinal disorder among children.

As the President and CEO of the company with over 45 years of experience in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Tierney has been a thought leader and a driving force of the company. Tierney started his career at a Children’s Hospital as a technician and assisted physicians in managing patients with scoliosis and kyphosis diagnoses. He went on to become a clinician and then the head of the idiopathic scoliosis clinic, where he worked for 12 years with surgeons and physical therapists for young girls and boys with scoliosis. With vast experience in the fabrication of spinal bracing and the clinical orthotic management of scoliosis, he realized that not all braces are equal, and not all patients have the same shape.

Whether it’s for juveniles or adolescents, idiopathic or neuromuscular, all scoliosis patients deserve comfort and accuracy with their brace design, which in-turn improves compliance in their prescribed regimen—a large source of ineffectiveness in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis with full-time schedules.

Given the challenges with compliance, Spinal Technology teamed up with world class medical professionals and developed a nocturnal bracing system called The Providence Nocturnal Scoliosis^® System. As the first hyper corrective orthosis that is worn at night to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the brace has been garnering huge traction in the market due to its effectiveness in treating scoliosis and its enhanced ease of compliance among adolescent patients. It utilizes an advanced measurement system, combining precise grid coordinates on a patented measuring board, defining the most effective brace design, and the utilization of a CAD/CAM system to establish consistent spinal modification strategies. “This brace was designed to correct the spine, not just stop the progression of the curve. This is achieved with an average in-brace correction of 98 percent in comparison to the 55 percent of the fulltime braces. We are the largest manufacturer of idiopathic scoliosis braces in America,” states Tierney.

We are the largest manufacturer of idiopathic scoliosis braces in America

In addition to the brace, Spinal Technology also launched its HIPAA compliant, user-friendly app—SpinalTech3D™ Scan, which allows practitioners to take 3D scans, include images, write comments and instructions on the images, as well as denote anatomical landmarks. The app refines the process of ordering custom spinal orthoses from the company by electronically integrating scans, images, and practitioner instructions into its custom spinal and scoliosis orthometry forms.

The company maintains a library of over 6,000 patient molds to speed the fabrication of precise and specific custom contours, and employs the most experienced technical/clinical staff in the industry With two facilities located in Massachusetts and Kentucky, today, Spinal Technology has become a renowned name in the industry, known for its quality and unparalleled customer service. In addition to its solution, Spinal Technology emphasizes its central focus on education, both technical as well as clinical education. The company aims to educate people through regional conferences, targeted courses, and direct visits to smaller areas. “By leveraging the technical expertise of our team, we made a real effort to bring our knowledge to the clinical field in the form of education. We’ve had a huge and very positive response to that, and we aim to continue doing the same in the future,” explains Tierney.