One of the most well known orthopedic surgeons out there is Paul Randall Harrington. He was offered a basketball scholarship, and that is what made him decide to go to college. A good thing that he decided to attend school; Harrington invented the Harrington Rod, a device that has helped more than one million people. The Harrington Rod is designed to help straighten the spine and keep it immobilized, helping those with scoliosis. Harrington's rod was in use from the 1960s all the way until the late 1990s.