Doug Albract, D.O.
Richard Kruse, D.O.
Alfred I. duPont Institute
1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19803
ABSTRACT: Spondylolysis and low grade spondylolisthesis were studied in a group of 45 patients retrospectively looking at symptomatic evaluation and outcome of treatments. A retrospective chart review, with telephone pain questionnaire, was conducted for evaluation in patients with documented spondylolysis and / or grade I spondylolisthesis. Patient ages ranged from 2 to 20 years with a mean of 13.3 years, and follow-up ranged from 6 months to 10 years (mean 3.3 years). All patients were treated with non-operative care initially, and recalcitrant cases usually went on to operative care. Thirty-six of 45 patients were treated non-operatively throughout the entire course of treatment and 9 of 45 subsequently required insitu posterolateral fusion for recalcitrant pain. Non-operative modalities included physical therapy, immobilization via bracing, bedrest, restriction of inciting activities, non-narcotic analgesics or a combination of each. Twenty-eight of 45 patients responded to the Functional Low Back Pain Questionnaire. Eighty-two percent of these patients indicated pain improvement with the initial treatment. Fifty-two percent of these patients were completely pain free at long term follow-up. The majority of the non-operatively treated patients with spondylolysis and or grade I spondylolisthesis responded successfully to non-operative treatment modalities.
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