What is a Harrington rod?

The Harrington rod was a stainless steel spinal instrument that was implanted in the patient along their spinal column to treat a curvature in their spine starting in the 1960s. Harrington rods were the most common tool used for scoliosis to treat instability and deformity of the spine.

Are Harrington rods still used?

Remember, Harrington rods aren’t used anymore to address scoliosis. However, if you had a Harrington rod implanted before, you may develop flatback syndrome. Be sure to report any pain, trouble standing upright, difficulty walking, or other symptoms to your doctor.

How are Luque rods used to treat scoliosis?

Luque rods are sometimes used to treat scoliosis. Drummond instrumentation, also called Harri-Drummond instrumentation, uses a Harrington rod on the concave side of the spine and a Luque rod on the convex side. The advantage is that each vertebra segment is fixed, with the risk of nerve injury decreased over Luque rod instrumentation.

What kind of rods are used for Luque rods?

Luque rods are custom contoured metal rods that are fixed to each segment (vertebra) in the affected part of the spine. The main advantage is that the patient may not need to wear a cast or brace after the procedure.

How are the rods attached to the spine?

It is called the Luque instrumentation and here the rods are attached to the spine in the corrected position by wires, not hooks and/or screws as they are in the CD and similar methods. The Luque method is also often used for the correction of curvature due to nerve and muscle disorders such as muscular dystrophy.

Which is better Luque rod or Harrington rod?

The advantage is that each vertebra segment is fixed, with the risk of nerve injury decreased over Luque rod instrumentation. The disadvantage is that, like Harrington rod instrumentation, the patient must wear a cast and a brace after surgery.