Question
Hi.  I am a 37 year old gal who had harrington rods inserted after a car accident when I was 18 years old.  After they found I had compressed my spine, I had a bone graft, from my hip, and the rods put in. They are placed in the lower middle of my back. I suffered over the years with the lack of twisting mobility and the occassional back pain from over doing it, but dealt with it, because hey, I can still walk!  But now, after 19 years, I have constantpain above and below the rods.  I have been doing physical therapy to improve my lazy posture, but I wonder about the longevity of my back.  Are there any studies about how the spine works with the rods over time?  Do the vertibres above and below the rods get overworked because the others don't move?  Should I be seeing a specialist for the long-care of my back?  I am a 1st grade teacher and a mother of two small children and I worry about keeping up and taking care of myself.  Thanks for your time!
-Lunden

Answer
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Dear Lunden,

A posterior spine fusion, is intended to fuse together two or more vertebrae, preventing any motion between them. Harrington rod instrumentation is one way this used to be done.
Following a Spine fusion, up to 75% more load is transmitted to the adjacent vertebrae. This possibly leads to premature degeneration of the adjacent segment, and might be the cause of your pain. Other possibilities also exist, such as infection, fracture, rod migration, or several other pathologies.
If the pain is severe, further workup is necessary. Harrington rods were made of stainless steel, making interpretation of CT scans very difficult, and MRI next to impossible. I suggest you start with regular standing AP and Lateral X-rays, and see a Spine specialist to decide what further imaging is necessary.

I hope you feel better,

Dr.Rahamimov