1988 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 23-27
Application of instrument surgery to a patient with a spinal cord injury can help correct spinal deformity and provide stability, but we have often noticed that the long Harrington rod used for this purpose sacrifices too much mobility in the spinal column and makes trunk balance difficult. We removed the Harrington rod from a number of patients who complained of excessive back pain or loss of trunk balance. The results were so favorable that we decided to investigate functional activities and subjective symptoms before and after removal of the Harrington rod.
Over the past four years and two months we have removed Harrington rods. Of these cases, we have been able to follow nine directly. No marked changes were seen after removal of the rod in performances on I. S. M. G. and Strohkendl's tests for sitting balance or in wheelchair meneuverability. Subjective assessments revealed that pain noted prior to rod removal completly disappeared after the surgical procedure.
We conclude that removal of the Harrington rod is generally a preferred procedure in the management of patients with spinal cord injuries.
