title: Effect of the Harrington compression system on the correction of the rib hump in spinal instrumentation for idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: To analyze the effect of the Harrington compression system on the rib hump in thoracic idiopathic scoliosis, intraoperative measurements were made on 21 cases during correction with the distraction system and after addition of the compression system. The data show that the compression system makes a major contribution to the correction of total rib deformity in over two-thirds of the patients, and the correction of the rib valley is much more significant than correction of the rib hump. Analysis of postoperative spine roentgenograms seems to indicate that the extent of the rib correction does not correlate with spine derotation as measured by the system of Nash and Moe. The improvement in rib correction achieved by addition of the compression system appears to result from changes centered about the costovertebral joints.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D012272:Ribs; D012399:Rotation; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*