Review of Harrington rod treatment of spinal trauma.

Harrington rod treatment for spinal trauma has become the gold standard against which other treatment modalities are judged. A review of the results of Harrington rod treatment is essential to establish a baseline level of efficiency in terms of rehabilitation time, correction of deformity, canal decompression, motion segment loss, and device-related complications. With economic concerns becoming more important in medical treatment, the value of newer techniques must be clearly superior to established methods. Harrington rod-augmented spine fusion is reliable and cost-effective in the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine. The risks of rod failure and late complications related to lost motion segments in the lumbar spine make pedicle screw systems a better option in this region.