The Milwaukee brace is used for the treatment of children with evolutive scoliosis (sideways curve of the spine) or kyphosis (excessive outward curvature of the spine like a hunchback - Scheuermann's disease). It is most effective for curves in the thoracic spine and is particularly effective in correcting kyphosis. 

The Milwaukee brace is made of a plastic part moulded snugly over the pelvis, that is connected to a neck ring by 3 vertical bars. Lateral pads are strapped to the bars, holding the spine in alignment. This corset has the advantage to be adjustable, allowing to fine-tune the correction but also to adapt to the child growth which can extend the need for renewal to 14-18 months. 

The principle of the Milwaukee brace is to provide a frame to guide the growth of the spine and minimise the progression of the curvatures to an acceptable level rather than an aggressive way of correcting existing curves. It is therefore usually prescribed at the early stage of the scoliosis treatment and might be followed by other type of brace depending on the evolution. 

Like other braces, the Milwaukee brace is typically worn 23 hours per day and should be complemented with physiotherapy treatment.