eMedicine Specialties > Radiology > Musculoskeletal

Spondylolisthesis: Follow-up

Author: Zubin Irani, MD, MBBS, Resident Physician, Department of Radiology, Dotter Interventional Institute, Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine
Coauthor(s): Jehangir J Patel, MD, Director, Musculoskeletal Radiology Service, Department of Radiology, Baystate Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 14, 2009

Intervention

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • One of the potential pitfalls is to ascribe back pain in a young person to spondylolysis and, therefore, to fail to search for another explanation for the back pain.
  • Spondylolysis is not necessarily a painful condition, and to miss an osteomyelitis or a neoplasm as the cause of a patient's back pain is tragic.

Special Concerns

  • As always, radiation exposure in a developing embryo/fetus must be avoided. The clinician must ask the patient about the possibility of pregnancy.
  • Radiation exposure in the pediatric and adult population is a concern, especially given the age groups in which spondylolysis occurs.
 


More on Spondylolisthesis

Overview: Spondylolisthesis
Imaging: Spondylolisthesis
Follow-up: Spondylolisthesis
Multimedia: Spondylolisthesis
References
Further Reading
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References

  1. Canale S. Campbell's Operative Orthopedics. Vol 3. 9th ed. St Louis: Mosby-Year Book;1998.

  2. Lawhorne TW 3rd, Girardi FP, Mina CA, Pappou I, Cammisa FP Jr. Treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis: potential impact of dynamic stabilization based on imaging analysis. Eur Spine J. Jun 2009;18(6):815-22. [Medline].

  3. Huang KY, Lin RM, Lee YL, Li JD. Factors affecting disability and physical function in degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis of L4-5: evaluation with axially loaded MRI. Eur Spine J. Jun 14 2009;[Medline].

  4. Kalanithi PS, Patil CG, Boakye M. National complication rates and disposition after posterior lumbar fusion for acquired spondylolisthesis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). Aug 15 2009;34(18):1963-9. [Medline].

  5. Weinstein JN, Lurie JD, Tosteson TD, Zhao W, Blood EA, Tosteson AN, et al. Surgical compared with nonoperative treatment for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis. four-year results in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) randomized and observational cohorts. J Bone Joint Surg Am. Jun 2009;91(6):1295-304. [Medline].

  6. Newell RL. Spondylolysis. An historical review. Spine. Sep 1 1995;20(17):1950-6. [Medline].

  7. Wiltse LL, Jackson DW. Treatment of spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis in children. Clin Orthop. Jun 1976;(117):92-100. [Medline].

  8. Tallarico RA, Madom IA, Palumbo MA. Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis in the athlete. Review. Sports Med Arthrosc. Mar 2008;16(1):32-8. [Medline].

  9. Khan N, Husain S, Haak M. Thoracolumbar injuries in the athlete. Review. Sports Med Arthrosc. Mar 2008;16(1):16-25. [Medline].

  10. Kraft CN, Pennekamp PH, Becker U, Yong M, Diedrich O, Lüring C, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of the Lumbar Spine in Elite Horseback Riders: Correlations With Back Pain, Body Mass Index, Trunk/Leg-Length Coefficient, and Riding Discipline. Am J Sports Med. Jul 2 2009;[Medline].

  11. Dietrich M, Kurowski P. The importance of mechanical factors in the etiology of spondylolysis. Amodel analysis of loads and stresses in human lumbar spine. Spine. Jul-Aug 1985;10(6):532-42. [Medline].

  12. Fredrickson BE, Baker D, McHolick WJ, et al. The natural history of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. Jun 1984;66(5):699-707. [Medline].

  13. Wiltse LL, Newman PH, Macnab I. Classification of spondylolisis and spondylolisthesis. Clin Orthop. Jun 1976;(117):23-9. [Medline].

  14. Rowe G, Roche M. The etiology of separate neural arch. J Bone Joint Surg. 1953;35A:102-9.

  15. Saraste H. Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. Acta Orthop Scand Suppl. 1993;251:84-6. [Medline].

  16. Herkowitz HN. Spine update. Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Spine. May 1 1995;20(9):1084-90. [Medline].

  17. Hosoe H, Ohmori K. Degenerative lumbosacral spondylolisthesis: POSSIBLE FACTORS WHICH PREDISPOSE THE FIFTH LUMBAR VERTEBRA TO SLIP. J Bone Joint Surg Br. Mar 2008;90(3):356-9. [Medline].

  18. Wiltse L, Rothman S. Spondylolisthesis: classification, diagnosis and natural history. Sem Spine Surg. 1989;1(2):78.

  19. Virta L, Ronnemaa T. The association of mild-moderate isthmic lumbar spondylolisthesis and low back pain in middle-aged patients is weak and it only occurs in women. Spine. Sep 1 1993;18(11):1496-503. [Medline].

  20. Amato M, Totty WG, Gilula LA. Spondylolysis of the lumbar spine: demonstration of defects and laminal fragmentation. Radiology. Dec 1984;153(3):627-9. [Medline].

  21. Kovacs FM, Royuela A, Jensen TS, Estremera A, Amengual G, Muriel A, et al. Agreement in the interpretation of magnetic resonance images of the lumbar spine. Acta Radiol. Jun 2009;50(5):497-506. [Medline].

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Keywords

spondylolisthesis, anterolisthesis, retrolisthesis, spondylolytic spondylolisthesis, degenerative spondylolisthesis, congenital spondylolisthesis, traumatic spondylolisthesis, pathologic spondylolisthesis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Zubin Irani, MD, MBBS, Resident Physician, Department of Radiology, Dotter Interventional Institute, Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine
Zubin Irani, MD, MBBS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Jehangir J Patel, MD, Director, Musculoskeletal Radiology Service, Department of Radiology, Baystate Medical Center
Jehangir J Patel, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, International Society for Clinical Densitometry, Massachusetts Medical Society, and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

David S Levey, MD, PhD, Orthopedic/Spine MRI TeleRadiologist, Radsource, LLC
David S Levey, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society, Radiological Society of North America, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Bernard D Coombs, MB, ChB, PhD, Consulting Staff, Department of Specialist Rehabilitation Services, Hutt Valley District Health Board, New Zealand
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

William R Reinus, MD, MBA, FACR, Professor of Radiology, Temple University; Chief of Musculoskeletal and Trauma Radiology, Vice Chair, Department of Radiology, Temple University Hospital
William R Reinus, MD, MBA, FACR is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, Radiological Society of North America, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Robert M Krasny, MD, Resolution Imaging Medical Corporation
Robert M Krasny, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Felix S Chew, MD, MBA, EdM, Professor, Department of Radiology, Vice Chairman for Radiology Informatics, Section Head of Musculoskeletal Radiology, University of Washington
Felix S Chew, MD, MBA, EdM is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society, Association of University Radiologists, and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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