Surgical management of low to moderate grade isthmic spondylolisthesis

ABSTRACT

In this study, 50 patients with low to moderate grade lytic spondylolisthesis underwent a single staged surgical procedure. The average age at surgery was 43 years. Both plain X-rays and an MRI were done for all patients. All patients had a wide decompression, pedicle screw instrumentation and posterolateral fusion. The patients were followed up for an average of 2.5 years. Forty patients had a favorable outcome. The fusion rate was 92%. There was no permanent deterioration in the neurological state postoperatively in any patient. The study demonstrated that an instrumented posterolateral arthrodesis in combination with a wide laminectomy and nerve root decompression results in a high rate of fusion and satisfactory clinical success