The History of Spinal Fusion and Instrumentation

Spinal instrumentation techniques have evolved significantly to provide stability in the treatment of spinal deformities, trauma, tumors, and degenerative diseases.In earlier periods, external immobilization methods were used, whereas internal fixation and spinal fusion techniques began to be developed in the early 20 th century.The modern era of spinal instrumentation, which started with Harrington rod systems, has advanced considerably with the introduction of pedicle screw systems, minimally invasive surgery, navigation technologies, and robotassisted applications.This review discusses the historical development of spinal fusion and fixation techniques chronologically.